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Hey Ellen DeGeneres, are you listening?
Brian Lyons, the Plymouth boy who has been raising funds to help his local fire department buy a vital piece of life-saving equipment, has launched a bid to capture the attention of the national TV talk show host.
Brian has been raising money for the Elm Hill Hose Company No. 3 to purchase an extrication device known as a Combi-Tool, and according to mom Linda Uren, he had raised about $6,500 as of Monday by selling lemonade for $1 per 8 ounce cup.
In a Facebook post Sunday evening, Brian, 10, wrote an open letter to DeGeneres describing his efforts, offering her a cup of his lemonade and seeking her help for the community.
His initial goal was $14,000. Told of Brian’s efforts, a Pittsburgh-based equipment vendor told Fire Chief Brian Oppelt that he could offer Elm Hill the device at a discounted price of just over $9,500.
In fact, Brian announced later Monday that the fire department had made a verbal commitment to buy the tool, a process which will take about two weeks.
“Now I just need a few places I can sell 3,037 (to be exact) cups of lemonade in 2 weeks,” he wrote.
Ellen, if you’re listening, you should probably know that Brian has overcome a lot.
According to mom Linda Uren, Brian has autism and was often shunned when he was small, and didn’t speak until he was 4. His affinity for the fire department — and their support for him — helped Brian open up.
Hence his title, Junior Fire Chief Brian Lyons.
Now, Brian is selling lemonade and talking with reporters and was even chosen to be the first ever grand marshal for the Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival parade, which was held on Saturday.
He has helped inspire many people along the way.
That includes members of the Plymouth Alive committee, who purchased a new table for Brian to sell his lemonade on after his old one was stolen from the family’s backyard last month.
Brian also captured the imagination of state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, who introduced a bipartisan bill that would end regulation of child-run lemonade stands on private property — something Mullery considers government overreach.
Now he has his sights set on making a friend in Hollywood, though he may have to wait a bit.
An official with the Ellen show told the Times Leader on Monday that the show is on hiatus for a few weeks, but will resume reviewing applications when the break is over.
Today, meanwhile, Uren said she and Brian and others will be meeting at the fire house at 10 a.m. to film a video about things they believe can be done to improve Plymouth.
“He’s just really pumped,” she said of Brian’s reaction to the donations and support he has received.