EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Mac Brown is an Ole Miss Rebel with a tremendous cause, and what started as a simple fundraiser to help a family in need has truly become an Awesome Lemonade Stand.

The Ole Miss punter started the lemonade stand in his hometown, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, six years ago in an attempt to raise money to fulfill a bucket list of a friend's dad battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), but it has evolved into much more over the years. His donation total hit $20,000 last year, and he raised the bar, setting his goal at $30,000 for this year. With the final tally still to come, donations have already eclipsed $31,000.

"It feels great to hit our goal," Brown said. "The whole community really stepped up this year. It's amazing to see how six years ago a simple fundraiser to support a family has turned into a nationwide event. We knew that this year we set a very lofty goal, but to see not only our neighborhood step up but Rebel Nation and other donors from different states makes it even more special. This feels good, but the Awesome Lemonade Stand won't stop until a cure is found."

Brown's cause began long before the Ice Bucket Challenge emerged to bring ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, into the spotlight. Brown and his family have been affected on numerous levels by the disease, having seen three family friends pass away due to ALS. There currently is no cure for the disease, which attacks the central nervous system, and Brown vows to continue his cause until a cure is found.

"Watching a family battle a terrible disease was heartbreaking," Brown said. "I knew that I needed to do something to try and help. This disease is brutal not only on the person who has it but the entire family. It feels great to take action and try and help out. But it is as simple as a lemonade stand. The more money we raise the closer we get to a cure. What makes it awesome is finding out new stories about other people's connections with ALS and how this lemonade stand can make so much sadness in a disease turn to hope and that people are not giving up. We came up with the term 'Rebel with a cause.' I am just trying to make a difference and do my part."

To donate or to learn more about Brown's cause, visit his fundraiser website at classy.org/awesomelemonadestandmacbrown. To learn more about ALS and the search for a cure, visit ALS.net.