Grady Lee, a 13-year-old from Martinez, GA, a
community near Augusta, GA, learned the value of giving to others from his
beloved grandfather, Charles Lee, known to Grady as Pop. During his long life,
Pop donated his time to his church, his community, and organizations like the
Catch-A-Dream Foundation, where he helped provide outdoor adventures for
children with life-threatening illnesses.
In 2018, Grady's grandfather lost his battle with lung cancer. It was a devastating loss to Grady and his family. As Grady grew older, he was inspired by Pop's philanthropic values. In 2024, Grady decided to honor Pop's memory by raising money for charity by selling peanuts.
"When I lost Pop, it was the hardest thing I've ever been through," said Grady Lee, founder of Pop's Peanuts. "I'm trying to show people the difference they can make by stepping up and doing something for the greater good."
In addition to caring deeply about philanthropy, Grady has an entrepreneurial spirit he learned by watching his parents operate their restaurant, Chicken Fingers, located in Evans. He tracked all of his sales in a spreadsheet and purchased a logo and signage for Pop's Peanuts using money he earned from odd jobs.
Grady sets up his peanut stand outside of the family restaurant on Fridays in the summer, and on Saturdays once school starts — often selling out by 12:30 p.m. He plans to continue selling them almost every week through football season.
To honor his grandfather, Grady donates a portion of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and the Catch-A-Dream Foundation. So far, he has raised more than $1,000. Grady hopes to expand his operation and continue raising money for these charities and other organizations.
For more information, visit the Pop's Peanuts Facebook page.
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