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People came from as far away as Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday to support two little girls whose lemonade stand was shut down by the Overton Police Department last week.

Zoey, 7, and Andria, 8, Green wanted to take their father to a water park for Father’s Day and they wanted to do so with their own money.

The girls decided to set up a lemonade stand on Monday, something their mother, Sandi Green Evans, said they have done frequently with no issues. The girls’ father works in the oil fields and he doesn’t get to come home every night, so this was to be an especially meaningful present for him.

“We just decided to have an impromptu lemonade stand because the girls wanted to pay their own way,” Ms. Evans said.

“They told me I needed a peddler’s permit for the city of Overton. I have not received that because in order to get that, I have to have the county permit from the health inspector, which he is not authorized to issue. So until I get the county permit, I (have to wait to) take that to the city and get the peddler’s permit, which he’s offered to wave the fee on.”

Although the girls were disheartened, they were determined not to give up. That’s when the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported its story. Since then, the girls’ plight has been heard nationwide.

The girls’ oldest sister, Jessica Hidalgo, 25, describes them as headstrong, calling Andria a born leader. Nineteen year-old sister Alyson Horton said she was very proud of her sisters. The girls also have an older brother who is in the military.

“I wasn’t surprised when they decided to keep moving forward and tried to get support for another one,” Ms. Hidalgo said. “We’re thankful and blessed people are supporting them, it’s for our dad.”

The girls decided to find a way to keep going. They found that while they couldn’t sell the lemonade, they could give it away and accept tips. After an outpouring of support, including tickets to Six Flags and Splash Kingdom, they decided any money would go to a scholarship dedicated to the memory of two family members, Felicia Roach and Dena Rineheart. If support exceeds expectations, the family will start the Green Girls Lemonade Scholarship for business administration students.

“I feel like yes, we’re going to have a lemonade stand, yes we’re going to accept these tips and yes we’re going to donate it to Dena’s honor because we wish she was still here with us,” Ms. Evans said. “Also, if we make enough, there will be a scholarship that will be formed called the Green Girls Lemonade Scholarship for a graduating senior majoring in business management. There are two good things that can come from this.”

Steve Maxwell came all the way from Shreveport to get a glass of ice cold lemonade.

“I disagree with the police chief, very much,” Maxwell said. “When I found out they were going to accept tips, I just told myself, ‘I’m gonna go.’ I just wanted to support them.”

Ms. Evans said she has seen a lot of bad information making the rounds on the Internet and wanted people to know they hadn’t intentionally broken any laws.

“We shut up shop right then and we hadn’t sold a cup of lemonade since,” she said. “I strongly support (the community) and I don’t hate my community.”

Perhaps most upsetting was the way people have attacked the character of Overton’s police officers.

“These people don’t know us, they don’t know the closeness of our community,” she said. “To sit behind a computer screen thousands of miles away and call our police chief scum, is not fair.”

By the end of the day Saturday, the girls had raised about $600. They are hoping to continue receiving donations in order to donate at least $500 toward each scholarship.

Residents can donate to the scholarship fund by mailing donations to Sandi Green Evans, P.O. Box 451, Overton, Texas, 75684. Donators will need to specify whether they are giving to the Green Girls Scholarship Fund or the Felicia Roach and Dena Rineheart Memorial Scholarship.

Twitter: @TMT_Cory