Boys sell lemonade to help families of fallen cops and firefighters

Sean and Kyle Griffin are turning lemons into lemonade for an important cause.

When Sean, now 6, said he wanted to open a lemonade stand and wear his police uniform last year, his parents told him he'd have to donate the money. His dad is an NYPD sergeant so they decided to help families of fallen first responders.

"I'm happy—I want to help the police and the fire families," Sean said.

"There's heroes that never come home and these families still need to be taken care of and remembered and their sacrifice of their hero should never be forgotten," Debi Griffin, the boys' mom, said. "So it's our duty to step up and help these families."

Friday's first customer was Robert Figoski, whose brother Det. Peter Figoski was shot in the line of duty in 2011.

"It's great that kids this young can get behind such a cause like this," Figoski said.

The donations poured in as dozens of people patiently waited for their lemonade in Massapequa Park. Last year, the Griffins raised $7,000 and this year they're on track to double that.

The Griffin family pay for the food and drinks so that 100 percent of the proceeds go to Answer the Call, a nonprofit that provides financial help to the families of NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD members killed in the line of duty.

"It's about paying it forward. When Sean and Kyle's mom asked me what organization to fundraise for… they [Answer the Call] were one of the first organizations that came to mind because they help everyone," said Lisa Tuozzolo, the widow of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, who died in 2016.

"It's about the police and firemen," Sean said.