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Carter Brown, left, and Paige Brown help a customer at their hot cocoa stand in front of Smith's in Springville on Saturday, March 12, 2022.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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The Brown family, along with their cousins, man a hot cocoa stand in front of Smith's in Springville on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Siblings Paige, 5, and Carter Brown, 8, were inspired by current events to help raise money for children in Ukraine.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Linda Richards, right, buys a cookie at a hot cocoa stand in front of Smith's in Springville on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Siblings Paige, 5, and Carter Brown, 8, were inspired by current events to help raise money for children in Ukraine.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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From left, Carter, Katie and Paige Brown package cookies for customers at their hot cocoa stand in front of Smith's in Springville on Saturday, March 12, 2022.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Paige Brown helps customers at a hot cocoa stand in front of Smith's in Springville on Saturday, March 12, 2022. The 5-year-old girl and her brother, Carter, 8, were inspired by current events to help raise money for children in Ukraine.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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When Kurt Brown pulled into his cul-de-sac early last week, he noticed something different outside. Right on the curb were two of his children, Carter and Paige Brown, with a hot cocoa stand.

While making dinner, the kids came up to their mother and asked for help making a pitcher of hot cocoa. Katie Brown, assuming her kids were playing a game, made the pitcher and didn’t give it a second thought.

Unbeknownst to both parents, Carter and Paige flipped over an empty storage bin for a table, made a sign and sat on soon-to-be recycled cardboard boxes for chairs. Just like that, the duo was selling hot cocoa to raise money for children and families in Ukraine.

“You don’t realize how much your kids are listening and paying attention,” said Kurt Brown, also the owner of TownSquare Capital in Provo. “To come home from work one night and see them running a stand in the front yard was really a pleasant surprise.”

While their goal was noble, Kurt said, their execution was just a little off. The pair struggled to sell having their booth set up at night in a part of their neighborhood without people and driving by; but going door-to-door let them come home, excitedly, with $18.

After that, he posted the story on Facebook and heard from clients across the country who wanted to donate. From there, a new plan grew and on Saturday, the family posted up in front of the Smith’s Marketplace in Springville, selling their cups of cocoa for $4, along with Crumbl cookies, homemade cookies and homemade Rice Krispies treats.

The decision to sell cocoa instead of another drink was straightforward for the kids, both of them saying, “it’s cold outside.”

The table, now slightly larger than their storage bin, was draped in blue and yellow paper representing the Ukrainian flag with signs reading “Cocoa for Ukraine” and “American kids helping Ukrainian kids” among others. They were also handing out Ukrainian flags to customers who wanted them.

The war in Eastern Europe has been at the forefront in the Brown household for weeks as well. The parents have been watching and reading the news, learning about the situation and finding ways to talk to their kids about it. While Carter and Paige both pray nightly for the people in Ukraine, they were excited to get out and do something to help. That joy, and the importance of this experience, is not lost on Katie Brown.

“This is really exciting for them to be able to know that they’re making all this money — when they go home and count this money tonight and know that all this money is going to help these kids they see on TV and praying for — how’s that going to feel for them? They’re going to remember this forever,” she said.

While the money will be used by large charitable organizations, the children were a little more focused in their goals.

“We’re getting money for them to have blankets and clothes,” Paige said.

Throughout the afternoon, plenty of people came up to the table excited to donate. Some also took the time to teach the kids about Ukraine, including one former temple worker with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kyiv.

Jerry Gribble, who served in the Kyiv temple in 2019, stopped by the table after shopping with family. Happy to buy baked goods and cocoa, Gribble was moved thinking about the country, and people, in Eastern Europe.

“I cry a lot. It’s overwhelming,” Gribble said. “This is something like you read about from World War II, people you know are afraid they’re going to be killed. Ordinary civilians are going to lose arms, legs, be killed. It’s overwhelming.”

Knowing the realities of the Russian aggression toward Ukraine, feelings of hopelessness were shared by many customers at the cocoa stand.

“Sometimes as adults we feel like there’s not much we can, but watching them think they can do something even at 5 and 8 years old is exactly what’s required to do something,” Kurt said. “It’s inspiring for adults to watch kids want to help. I think it makes us as adults feel hopeful. The kids’ optimism is kind of contagious.”

As of Saturday evening, the Browns had received over $4,400 in donations between the bake sale and money sent directly through Venmo — not including an anonymous benefactor who pledged to double whatever they received. Donations will ultimately be sent to the Community Foundation of Utah. Anyone wishing to donate can do so directly on Venmo to @Kurt-Brown-11.

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