A Note From Our Founder
I should have known.
I should have known the little girl who was adamant about selling lemonade in hopes of raising money for spinal muscular atrophy would someday strive for more.
I think about her often. I think about how her world knew no limits to what she was capable of. I think about how HORRIBLE that homemade lemonade must have tasted and the poor souls who were kind enough to support her anyway. And, I think about how she never settled for anything less than what her heart was set on.
That little girl? Well, that was me. I’d rally the neighborhood kids to help me profit a couple of dollars in hopes of raising $100 for SMA. And, together, we’d turn some lemons into lemonade.
I may have closed up shop with my lemonade stand, but I continued moving forward in pursuit of that 8-year-old girl who wanted nothing more than to actualize her hundred-dollar dream. And, on the journey to pursuing what set my heart ablaze, I learned the invaluable lesson that comes from lemons:
No matter how challenging or bittersweet your world may get, when life serves you lemons, you go out there and make the best damn lemonade you possibly can. Even if they weren’t exactly the lemons you would have chosen, YOU still get to decide how you want to use them.
Working On Walking is a product of just that. A life full of lemons squeezed into the sweetest lemonade thanks to the hundreds of people who have been willing to extend a helping hand so generously throughout the years. Because the fact of the matter is this: regardless of how big I dreamed about creating a means to fight this terminal disease, none of this would have been possible without your kindness and generosity.
You, the people, have made WOW what it is today. You have shown up for the fundraisers and gatherings. You have included us in your annual contributions. Your dress-down days. Your school events. You name it. But, most of all, you have helped ignite the path to lifesaving treatments and still continue to rewrite the fate of this disease.
You, my friend, are truly remarkable. Thank you.
About Alyssa
At 6 months of age, Alyssa was diagnosed with SMA type I. She began raising money for SMA at 8 years old and quickly grew her venture into a 5-figure business. After she graduated from college, she turned her side project into an official 501c3 organization that has now raised half a million dollars for her disease.
Today, Alyssa is 29 years old and continuing her philanthropic work while working two part-time jobs and doing the whole “adulthood” thing. Fueled by coffee and kindness, she is happiest while helping others.