IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SWEET IDEA—Clockwise from lower left, Seth Paschal, 7, Van Mako, 6, Ryan Hadley, 12, Jill Paschal, Kelly Mako, Susan Harper, Gene Hostetler, and Megan Harper, 11, front, prepare for Saturday, when they will be selling Sunkist Lemonade from this stand in their driveway. Kelly Mako wrote a letter for a Sunkist contest and won the right to use the special stand for charity. Proceeds from the lemonade sales will go to The Hugs Foundation, a Simi non-profit that assists victims of near drowning. The old adage goes, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' And that is exactly what local nonprofit The Hugs Foundation plans to do tomorrow afternoon with its lemonade stand fundraiser.

"Who doesn't love a lemonade stand in the summer? And to do it all for charity—that rocks," said Kelly Mako, who is in charge of marketing for the foundation.

The Hugs Foundation supports families whose children have suffered from a neardrowning experience by providing grants that help pay for equipment and medical treatment. It was founded by Simi resident and park district board member Gene Hostetler.

"You have to get as much money as you can (through fundraising) to offset the cost of caring for near-drowning victims," said Hostetler, who gives $6,000 to each family he helps. He estimated that the foundation has raised approximately $50,000 since it started.

Though Hugs gained its nonprofit status in 2006, its work really began in 2002 following the near drowning of Hostetler's grandson, Seth Paschal.

Seth and his mother, Jill, were enjoying themselves at a family birthday party Sept. 15, 2002. While family members' backs were turned, Seth—who was just 21 months old at the time—went into the backyard swimming pool and managed to squirm out of the floaties on his arms.

Jill Paschal said it took only three minutes to change her life, and Seth's life, forever.

"I thought that because he survived he would wake up out of his coma and be okay because I didn't know that there was an inbetween," she said.

Children who survive near drowning can suffer from a variety of after effects depending on how long they were without oxygen, but all have brain damage that can result in blindness, difficulty breathing, limited physical movement and speech impediment. They are also more susceptible to infection or illness, such as pneumonia.

Paschal said that near drowning is more common than people think.. But she said you don't truly understand the consequences of near drowning until you've lived it.

Hostetler agreed.

"You never know about this stuff until this happens to you," he said.

Seth, now 7, is far from being a normal little boy. He goes to different therapies five days a week, nine months out of the year, enduring two to three different therapies each day.

"He's a fighter," Paschal said. "He keeps me going."

One of those therapies is a hyperbaric oxygen treatment, a highpressure treatment that aids in the process of healing diseased or damaged tissues. This treatment alone costs $150 a session, and insurance companies will not cover the cost.

It is these types of treatments that The Hugs Foundation helps families pay for. After hearing Seth's story, Kelly Mako said she couldn't help but get involved in Hugs.

"I saw Seth's picture and fell in love," she said. "I would do anything for Jill, Seth and Gene. I can't write a check for as much as I'd like to give them, so I raise it."

That's why when she heard about Sunkist's "Take A Stand" promotion through a friend, she immediately got online and applied.

Through its "Take A Stand" program, Sunkist this year provided 20,000 lemonade stands to children ages 7 to 12 to raise money for their favorite charities.

A group of children from Simi Presbyterian Church will man the stand for four hours on Saturday, doling out lemonade for 50 cents a glass. Mako said she hopes to raise $500 for Hugs.

"It's not so much about the money you raise but the awareness," said the mother of two boys—Ryan, 12, and Van, 6.

Residents that would like to help the foundation by purchasing a glass of lemonade can do so tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fitzgerald Road between Sycamore and Appelton roads. Donations of any amount will be accepted.

For more information about The Hugs Foundation, visit hugs4ndc.com. To read more about Seth, visit prayforseth.com.

To make a donation, call Gene Hostetler at (805) 304-3835.