Brighten Your Day

Police Officer Surprises A 9-Year-Old Girl Running A Lemonade Stand With A Tablet

June 27, 2015

An Ohio sheriff's deputy's quick stop at a lemonade stand turned into a moment 9-year-old Gabrielle will never forget.

Credit: ABC News

Zach Ropos stopped by the young girl's lemonade stand while on patrol.

"I see a little girl come running up to my police car," Ropos told ABC News. "She hands me a glass, I hand her a few bucks. I asked her what she wanted to do with the money ... she said she'd get an iPad, to help with school and play games."

Ropos said he told the girl's mother he had an old iPad at home he could bring them the next day.

"I went home that night, fired up the iPad, but it just wasn't updated anymore ... nothing really worked on it," Ropos explained.

The next day, Ropos found a store that agreed to contribute to the cost of a tablet with him. Later Tuesday, Ropos met up with Gabrielle and her mother.

"I talked to the little girl, gave her a speech about how courageous and admirable I think her efforts were to save up her money," Ropos said. "I asked her how much she saved up, and she said she only had a few dollars."

Gabrielle explained to Ropos that her mother's car ran out of gas, so the child gave up her hard-earned money to fill the tank.

"When she told me she gave the money to her mom ... that's when I almost started crying because of how great of a kid she really was," Ropos said.

Ropos handed over the tablet in a sweet moment captured on camera. "She just wouldn't stop hugging me," Ropos said.

"Seeing her face is how I remember Christmas when I was 5 years old. She couldn't stop smiling," Ropos said. "Her smile was worth a million dollars."