Children Raised Funds at ACL Festival
Two sisters operated a lemonade stand at the Austin City Limits Music Festival to support the Cile Steward Foundation Fund.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Philanthropy
Camille and Charlotte Ross raised nearly $2,300 in a single day at the Austin City Limits Music Festival to honor the memory of Cile Steward. The young sisters were invited by C3 Presents to sell lemonade at the Austin Kiddie Limits area during the festival's second weekend.
Why it matters
The fundraising effort serves as a tribute to 7-year-old Cile Steward, who was killed in flooding at Camp Mystic during the 2025 Fourth of July weekend. The Ross family initiated this project to support the Cile Steward Foundation Fund due to their personal connection to the Steward family through Zilker Elementary School.
The stand raised nearly $2,300 in one day at the festival grounds after the sisters initially collected $874 during the event's first weekend. Each cup of lemonade was priced at $5 to support the foundation.
The players
Camille Ross
The 7-year-old student organized the lemonade stand fundraising effort with her sister.
Charlotte Ross
The 5-year-old student assisted in operating the lemonade stand to benefit the Cile Steward Foundation Fund.
Cile Steward
The 7-year-old was a student whose memory is honored by the foundation established following the 2025 flooding tragedy.
C3 Presents
The event production company manages the Austin City Limits Music Festival and provided the space for the sisters.
The details
Camille and Charlotte Ross operated the stand with the help of classmates and friends who staffed shifts at the festival site. Before their appearance at the festival, the sisters managed their lemonade operations from their home on Kinney Avenue.
Timeline
Flooding occurred at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country in July 2025.
The Ross sisters operated their lemonade stand at the ACL festival in October 2026.
Market Landscape
The Ross sisters' lemonade stand marks a community response to the July 2025 Camp Mystic flood, showing how local youth are memorializing victims of the tragedy. This initiative highlights the role of grassroots community-led philanthropy in supporting local charitable foundations.
Residents attending future festivals in the Zilker neighborhood may see similar youth-led philanthropic efforts supported by local production teams. The initiative demonstrates how personal connections between students can drive direct financial support for community-based causes.
The takeaway
Supporting local causes often begins with small-scale community initiatives organized by families and students. These efforts can leverage high-traffic events to gain significant visibility and financial contributions for charitable foundations.
Further reading
Learn more about local efforts by browsing Austin Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Austin American-Statesman.
