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12-year-old earns serious cash selling lemonade after he was robbed Tuesday

Posted at 9:09 PM, Jul 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-11 23:43:01-04

Tuesday afternoon Henry Reilly was doing what many 12-year-old boys do on a scorching summer day selling lemonade on his neighborhood street corner.

"And then he ran into some bad luck," says Jamie Reilly.

Teenagers came up to the stand, got some lemonade and paid with a phony $100 when Henry said the cash was fake, they took his hard-earned money and ran.

When his mom Jamie Reilly heard the news, she was furious.

"He's out here trying to work and if maybe more teenagers were out working for themselves they wouldn't have to rob lemonade stands,” Jamie Reilly. 

She put her anger to use, posting on the Next Door app about how her son was robbed right on his neighborhood sidewalk. 

After posting on the app, the response she got was incredible, with community members saying they'd come back today and buy lemonade, and they sure came.

"I just figured to not let them really bother me that much and just do it again, Henry Reilly.

Hundreds of people came by throughout the day to buy a cup.

"It makes me feel happy because people actually care,” says Henry Reilly.

Even the Omaha Police assisted by stopping drivers and giving them the full sales pitch for Henry.

"This takes it down to the kids level, so they are personally, positively affected by the police and realize they are here to help you in all situations even if it is just a lemonade stand,” says Jamie Reilly. 

The near 100 degree tempscouldn't bring down anybody spirits in fact, Henry thinks the sun helped him out. 

"I've had a lot of customers throughout the day because it's been really hot,” says Henry Reilly. 

At day's end, Henry had raised over $700 that he plans to use for a family vacation.

"It proves that there aren't just bad people in our community and there are more good people then there is bad people even though it sometimes doesn't seem like it,” says Olivia Reilly, Henry’s sister.
 
"I think Henry's faith and mine have been restored in this area and all of humanity," says Jamie Reilly.