After being one of the first customers of the Sutter Lemonade Stand 10 years ago, Carly Lynch has been passed the torch and taken over fundraising efforts for St. Jude via the newly rebranded Lynch Lemonade Stand. Their 2025 goal is to raise $20,000 for the Children’s Hospital.

Who is Carly Lynch?

Carly is a passionate leader, devoted wife, mom of three girls, and the kind of friend who always shows up — usually with a bottle of wine and a podcast recommendation. Whether she’s carpooling to activities, tending to her garden, or squeezing in a hot yoga session, Carly lives with purpose and heart.

An animal lover with two dogs, a cat, and a soft spot for anyone in need, Carly is known for her generosity and go-getter spirit. She's a fierce advocate for women’s health, a champion of empowering girls, and a dedicated supporter of St. Jude. Fundraising isn’t just something Carly does — it’s something she believes in deeply, pouring her energy into helping others with the same care she gives her closest friends and family.

At the end of the day, Carly is the kind of woman who makes her community better just by being in it — one act of kindness and one lemonade stand at a time.

How did you get involved in fundraising for St. Jude?

I have known about St. Jude my entire life. A close friend of mine lost his brother, Dusty Pautler, in middle school. His family always inspired me with their fundraising efforts and making sure that they threw their lives into helping save other children. I’ve always hosted lemonade stands with my littles and have even run a few times. Being from Peoria, you can’t help but have a soft spot for St. Jude!

What inspired Lynch Lemonade Stand?

I was gifted this lemonade stand from the Sutter Family. They hosted it for 10 years and when their littles grew up and went to college they wanted to pass it onto someone from the community. Tracy Sutter said she remembered we were some of their first customers and asked us to take it over. How could we say no?

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about St. Jude?

I think most people know that when you are a patient at St. Jude Children’s Reserch Hospital you never receive a bill. This is an incredible burden lifted off the shoulders of families on their worst days.

What are some of your short and long term goals for Lynch Lemonade Stand?

Our goal this year is to add a few facets to the event. We are adding a poster party the Friday night before the run for the kids in our neighborhood to make posters to line the fences of Wilhelm Road where our stand is located. We see this as another fundraising opportunity and a way to make our neighborhood children feel like they are involved in making a difference. Kids have the biggest hearts!

Tell us more about your fundraising efforts and what things you are doing and selling to support the cause.

We have added selling beaded garden sticks and Tanners donuts on the day of the stand. We are selling vinyl stickers and t-shirts with the beautiful branding from Lettering Works. I know they will be a hit! We have added sponsorship levels to help us up our goals. We have had some amazing local businesses step up to help us take our fundraising to the next level. I would like to grow our sponsorship program in the years to come and make this a heavy hitting fundraiser!

How would you describe the process of working with Lettering Works to establish your branding? What did you enjoy most?

I have known about Lettering Works from when she started in Peoria. I’ve always admired her work. It was such a pleasure working with Chelsie! I knew she was the right person for the job after our first conversation. I let her run with the project creatively and she didn't disappoint! She nailed it! She created timeless branding that we can use for years to come.

What value do you hope to receive from your new look?

I hope that our logo will become familiar with our community! They will know when they see it we are a trusted fundraiser and have fun doing it!