Regional cancer research is about to get a big boost.

Lemonade stands sprung up at Hy-Vee stores in St. Joseph, Kansas City, Lawrence, Kan., and Topeka, Kan., this weekend in honor of Lemonade Days, a nationwide event put on by the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

The foundation began in 2000 when cancer patient Alex Scott, then 4 years old, put up a stand to raise money for fellow patients. When Alex died in 2004, her parents continued her efforts.

Team leader Amy Terry said the stand in St. Joseph brought in $1,071 Friday, which is more than twice the amount raised during the first day of last year's fundraiser. This is the second year the event has been held in the Kansas City area.

"The Kansas City goal is $85,000," Ms. Terry said Saturday. "In Kansas City, I think there's probably 15 or 20 Hy-Vees, and according to the team leader (there), everybody had an increase from last year."

The money raised from the event, which was held Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will go to pediatric cancer research at Children's Mercy Hospital and Kansas University Medical Center as long as they apply for a grant through the foundation.

Volunteers such as Sheila Baker helped run the lemonade stand during the weekend and found that many customers were eager to help.

"I'd say at least 50 percent of the time, people just donate," Ms. Baker said. "Lemonade is not important to them."

Volunteers Abbey and Jason Wilson also were on hand with their daughter, Libby, 4, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was 15 months old.

"Our daughter is a cancer survivor, so we read about it when we were in Children's Mercy ... while she was going through treatment," Mrs. Wilson said.

Libby is now three years out from treatments, and Mrs. Wilson said she gets a lot of enjoyment from volunteering at the lemonade stands.

"She's doing great," she said.