SALISBURY — A young entrepreneur spent Saturday selling lemonade for a good cause.

Wearing a bright yellow ribbon and matching shoes, 7-year-old Layla Jones helped raise $1,000 through her lemonade stand to donate to the Rowan County United Way. 

Jones sold individually packaged containers of the sugary beverage from a tent posted at the corner of South Church and East Fisher Streets from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday. The lemonade stand brought customers from across the county, including several firefighters and police officers.

Jones made the donation on behalf of Families First. Located on the second floor of the former Wells Fargo building, Families First focuses on strengthening Rowan County families with a number of services and programs. 

The agency has partnered with United Way for the past 25 years and is currently one of the United Way’s 19 community investment partners. The $1,000 donation is a celebration of that quarter-century partnership and will be a welcomed boost to the United Way’s ongoing fundraising campaign.

“We would not be able to serve over 4,000 children and families each year without their guidance and support in meeting the needs in our community — including healthy lifestyle behaviors, mental health, and substance abuse,” Families First Executive Director Jeannie Sherrill said in a statement.

More information about Families First can be found online at www.familiesfirst-ncinc.org.