Little Boy Thanks Firefighters with Ice Cream Sandwiches After They Battle House Blaze

By Amanda Thomason August 14, 2019 at 8:18am

The combination of summer heat and no school that has dominated the last few months has prompted kids to come up with activities to keep themselves amused or productive.

While many schools are back in session now, you probably saw a lot more lemonade stands, water balloon fights and kids playing outdoors than usual.

One boy took the lemonade stand idea even further with his ice cold (root) beers. His business acumen and savvy marketing got him noticed by plenty of disgruntled neighbors who eventually called the cops.

The cops, though, upon reading the boy’s sign, were amused and helped publicize his venture by posting his picture online.

Other kids have chosen to take their little bit of extra freedom and earn money for a specific cause, offering cold drinks and collecting sweet donations.

Alizay Kashif from Illinois was an 11-year-old with a mission: to earn money to give to Feeding America, a nationwide food bank organization. Nine dollars into her first attempt, some teens actually stole her earnings and took off.

Frustrated but persistent, she set up again later, and since her story had circulated, many more people showed up — including a bunch of police officers, who donated $170 to her cause.

These kinds of positive interactions between law enforcement and children are crucial, and they can lead to a childhood fascination and even an eventual career choice.

One of the most recent heartwarming run-ins involves a young boy and a bunch of firefighters in Fullerton, Maryland. The Baltimore County Fire Department had been called out to a residence to put out a fire.

Nearby, a young boy was watching. Those firefighters in their gear, fighting a fire in the summer heat had to be sweltering — the boy and his parents had just the solution.

The department posted a picture of the young man approaching the fire crew, shoelace untied and a large box of frozen treats tucked under his arm.

“This young man provided ice cream sandwiches to #BCoFD crews working a #Fullerton house fire on a recent hot summer day,” the Baltimore County Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “His family also brought out a fan to help firefighters cool off.”

The photo has gone viral, touching people with the simple but meaningful — and very appreciated — act of kindness. According to comments on the Facebook post, the boy’s name is Damien.

“We never cease to be touched and amazed by the support from our communities,” department spokesperson Elise Armacost told WMAR-TV. “It’s gratifying to know that people appreciate our work.”

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