Budding entrepreneur / philanthropist makes mom proud 

 Melody Montpellier at last year’s lemonade stand at the Tulip Festival. She will be in business again be during this year’s festival. 

Budding entrepreneur / philanthropist makes mom proud 

By Mahsan Maz 

My seven-year-old daughter is running a lemonade stand during the Tulip Festival for the second year in a row. Her stand this year will be in our backyard, facing the festival tulip beds in Commissioner’s Park. 

Last year, when she was just six, she set up the stand and donated her earnings to the Ottawa Food Bank. This year, she came up with the idea to dedicate part of her proceeds to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. Her inspiration comes from her grandmother, who has been bravely battling breast cancer over the past nine months. My daughter wants to raise awareness, especially among women, about the importance of regular check-ups. As parents, we are incredibly proud of her initiative, and we’re here to support her in every way. 

She’s even planning to perform “Woman’s World” by Katy Perry during the event as a tribute to women’s strength and resilience – something she organized all on her own. 

Her stand was kindly loaned by our wonderful community, and we’ve always received so much love and support from visitors during the festival. We hope this article will help shine a light on her cause and inspire others. 

Mahsan Maz is a psychotherapist and the mother of Melody.