Bigger Than Smoothies

Every now and then, life offers us the chance to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Last week, we took part in something much, much bigger than just making smoothies.

A few weeks ago, a very sweet girl named Kristin who attends Brentwood Academy approached us with a request. She told us that one of her teachers’ husbands had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Kristin was determined to find a way to dig in and support this family. That’s where we came in. She asked if we’d be willing to donate a dollar from every smoothie purchased in the Stalling’s name for a whole week to their family fund. It was an easy decision for us. We believe the real reason our business exists is for opportunities just like this, to use our business as a platform for influencing lives in a positive way. We humbly accepted this opportunity, but I must admit, we were TOTALLY UNPREPARED for what happened.

It started slowly on Monday morning, a few people trickled in having never been to 9 Fruits before, asking if their purchase could go towards the Stallings. That afternoon, a large group of BA students descended upon us, eager to sip on a smoothie for a good cause. The buzz was starting to grow. Thursday was a day I will not soon forget. One of the sixth grade teachers at BA called and asked us to make 80 smoothies for the whole sixth grade class! They took a field trip to the park and had their smoothies delivered to them, again with the proceeds going to the Stallings.

Early that morning, I was already busy making smoothies for a few guests when a bright white reflection caught my eye. I looked up to see a big white bus with “Brentwood Academy” printed on the side. “Oh man, I’m in for it,” I thought. One of the teachers decided to bring his whole class to 9 Fruits on a smoothie field trip! That same teacher brought back two more busloads before the day was done! That afternoon, even a group of student’s mothers came in and bought smoothies for the Stallings. We laughed when all of their children followed suit an hour later after school let out.

On Friday, we had the amazing opportunity to meet Mrs. Stallings and her two year old son. She came to thank us for what we had done, but somehow that just didn’t seem fitting. I found myself thanking her for allowing us to participate in this amazing act of love and support for her family. Despite the grim situation her family is in, it left me feeling a sense of satisfaction that comes only from doing something nice for someone in need.

By the end of the week, we were exhausted, but we were touched. Including the smoothies purchased and the money from the donation jar, we were able to raise $640 in just one week for this family!!! It was truly a privilege to take part in something so much bigger than smoothies.

If you want to learn more about the Stallings family, check out Emmett’s Blog. If you’d like to make a donation, you can do that here.

Have you ever been a part of something bigger than yourself? How did it feel to see people’s lives being changed? We’d love to hear your stories!