Hoyt Street, a small side street located near Strawberry Field Road, doesn’t often see traffic, but around midday on Aug. 11, it was packed.

The reason was a lemonade stand manned by rising fifth graders Ava Williams, Braylin Battis and Sophia Harrison to raise money for the Izzy Foundation. Ava and Braylin are students at St. Peter School, and Sophia attends Norwood Elementary School. The three have been close friends, Braylin said, since she first started going to St. Peter.

“I came from a different school, and when I walked in, I saw a bunch of people, and one of the first people that I saw was Ava,” Braylin said. “She helped me get to know people, and then as we got older, we just became best friends.”

According to Caitlyn Williams, Ava’s mother, the girls came up with the idea for the fundraiser at a sleepover. From there, the girls and their parents decided everything from where to hold the fundraiser —Williams’ house — to how much the lemonade would cost, $1 per cup, with extra tips accepted.

The Izzy Foundation was founded in 2011 and named after Isabelle Wohlrab, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at the age of 1. The organization was initially founded to help fund a stem cell treatment for her, and since her passing, has focused on designing spaces in hospitals and supporting patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, according to Izzy Foundation Executive Director Carla Mulhern.

“Her parents both said you can either crawl in a hole or you can do something,” Mulhern said. “So they fundraised, and revamped what is now the Izzy Family Room on the fifth floor of Hasbro. It’s available to patients and their families 24 hours a day.”

The girls knew about the Izzy Foundation, as Braylin dealt with epilepsy-related issues at as young as 1 years old, and used the Izzy Family Room at Hasbro through her 6th birthday.

Her mother, Callie Battis, said the room was integral in helping the family get through long days at the hospital.

“When your kid gets admitted to the hospital, you don’t really think about things like forgetting a toothbrush at home,” Battis said. “And to not have to go to a gift shop to buy a toothbrush when your kid’s admitted to the hospital is a huge thing. They have so much to help families there.”

Before starting, the girls had a goal of raising $300 for the foundation. At the end of the fundraiser, they found themselves with more than $1,250.

“Every single person made a huge difference,” Battis said. “People were saying, you know, ‘Oh, I only have this.’ It’s not ‘only.’ Everything counts. No donation is too small.”

Williams credited the turnout to Facebook, and noted the support of the Warwick Fire Department, whose chief, Peter McMichael, showed up along with other firefighters to donate.

Seeing the community come together for the fundraiser, Williams said, was a special moment for her.

“I mean, people from the high school that we went to came, that I haven’t seen in forever, and I thought that was so touching,” Williams said. “I got to meet a lot of really nice people. The Warwick community as a whole truly came together to do that.”

Braelynn, Ava and Sydney plan to deliver the money to the Izzy Foundation soon, though they are still setting up the date. Williams said that the girls will be able to decide what exactly the money will be spent on.

Currently, the group doesn’t have a concrete plan for another fundraiser, but they’re considering either making the fundraiser an annual event or a seasonal one. Williams mentioned that the fundraiser also inspired their friend, Sydney Olszewski, to raise $68 for the Izzy Foundation.

“I think it could be a little tradition, and good values to instill in your children,” Williams said. “Apple cider in the fall, hot chocolate in the winter. Learning to donate the money and giving it back to a cause that is close to their hearts is important.”

As for the foundation, Mulhern said she was blown away by the community support shown, and was grateful for the fundraiser ahead of their Izzy Gala to celebrate what would have been Izzy’s 16th birthday in late September.

“We could not keep going without the community and the donations,” Mulhern said. “It’s wonderful being able to see kids doing things for others… There’s a lot of awful things going on in the world, but to be able to see the good in people every single day, it’s awesome.”