A remarkable young woman has people all over western Montana talking after she went all out to raise money for her favorite charity, the Ronald McDonald House in Missoula.

She is nine year-old Laila Podlipny, a fourth-grader who sold lemonade all summer to raise $1,345.94.

CEO of Ronald McDonald Charities of Western Montana, Amy Peterson told the amazing story.

“This last weekend at our annual fundraising event, the Red Shoe Ball, we awarded nine year-old Leila with the Spirit of RMHC Award,” said Peterson. “Last year at about this time she came to the house delivering a wagon load of wish list items for the house, including paper towels, laundry detergent, things like that.”

That was just the beginning of an eye opening year for Peterson and the staff at the Ronald McDonald House.

“She started her own company called Donation Cooperation stands, Incorporated, LLC,” she said. “She wanted to give back to the Ronald McDonald House because her little brother was born premature, so her mom and brother spent about nine months in a Ronald McDonald House, so she wanted to raise money through a lemonade stand for the house here in Missoula. She sold lemonade all summer long and raised over $1,300 dollars for the Ronald McDonald House.”

Peterson said Leila came up with the idea all by herself, and its all about families helping families, and kids helping kids.

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