Boy honored by city of Detroit for lemonade fundraising efforts

Joshua Smith awarded scholarship for commitment to community

DETROIT – The little boy who decided to raise money for the city of Detroit will be honored on Tuesday for his commitment to the community.

9-year-old Joshua Smith from Detroit started a lemonade stand to raise money for his community after he learned of the city's deficits. 

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Smith will give the astounding $3,500 he raised to the City Council on Tuesday.

Smith will be awarded a $2,000 college scholarship from the Rosa Parks Foundation as a thank you for his efforts.

The scholarship dollars will go to Smith when he graduates high school, as long as he meets the eligibility requirements, which include graduating from a public or private Michigan high school and maintaining a 2.5 or above GPA. Joshua's mother, Rhonda Smith, was herself a Rosa Parks Scholarship recipient, in 1987.

"Rosa Parks changed the world and inspired others to make it a better place for everyone. Special consideration for a scholarship was given to Joshua because at such a young age, he is an enterprising civic-minded young man who shares Mrs. Parks' spirit of service and commitment to building a brighter future in his community. We look forward to fostering our relationship with him as he completes his education and becomes our leader of tomorrow," said Delora Hall Tyler, president of the foundation.