Bryson Brown is only 7 years old, but already, he’s learned the importance of being philanthropic.

“I just thought it would be something nice to do,” says the Leesburg boy, who recently raised $1,196 at his first lemonade stand, and donated it all to the Combined Community Services emergency food pantry.

Bryson’s mother, Christine Brown, said she believes her young son was paying attention at Warsaw Community Church recently when the sermon was about giving back. “He said he wanted to raise money for a food pantry, so we chose CCS,” she explained.

Bryson, with a little help from his 5-year-old sister Katelyn, set up the lemonade stand at the 25th Annual Labor Day Antique Tractor Auction at Polk Equipment, New Paris, over the holiday weekend.

With a sign noting his proceeds were going to CCS, Christine said, “There were several people who came up and just handed him a $50 bill and didn’t want anything.”

Bryson and Katelyn presented CCS Executive Director Steve Possell with the check from their efforts late this afternoon. Possell noted he was impressed with the children’s effort and thanked him and his sister for their generous contribution.