BY DEBBIE NAZARIAN, LEMONADE DAY NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Last week, I introduced you to our National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year and the two runners-up. We select these winners from the submissions our City Directors send in of their city’s Youth Entrepreneurs of the Year. Across the country, Lemonade Day participants send in their business results to become eligible for Youth Entrepreneur of the Year in their Lemonade Day city. The submissions are always so impressive and heartwarming. It’s so inspiring to hear why kids signed up, what they accomplished, and what they now envision for the future.

The Lemonade Day curriculum takes each youth through a three-step process to starting and running a business- Set a Goal, Make a Plan, and then Work the Plan to achieve your dream of running your very own business. The first Lemonade Day lesson walks kids through the process of setting a profit goal for their lemonade stand business. We encourage them to “spend some” of their profits so they experience the satisfaction of being able to buy something they need or want, “save some” of their profits because we want them to learn the importance of saving money and beginning good money habits early in life, and “share some” of their profits because even though they are young, they can still make a difference in their community by supporting a non-profit or cause of their choice.  It is this “share some” that I would like to talk about today.

I believe that the “share some” part of the Lemonade Day lessons is often the inspiration behind a kid’s desire to start their lemonade business. And oftentimes, the kids who have the least are the ones who share the most. Some of the causes our kids choose to donate to are:

• Fighting medical conditions – cancer, alopecia, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes
• Helping animal rescue organizations, animal shelters, and wildlife organizations
• Movements such as Black Lives Matter
• Hospitals including St. Jude’s, children’s hospitals, and Ronald McDonald House
• Schools and organizations for people with disabilities
• Churches
• Helping the less fortunate including food banks/food drives, gathering school supplies, helping the homeless, poverty-stricken youth and elders, and people who are experiencing temporary hardships
• Community causes like sports clubs and sporting equipment
• And the list goes on

The desire to help is so strong that many Lemonade Day kids create their business to do good with their earnings. That’s pretty special and humbling to the adults who are involved in Lemonade Day. Lemonade Day participants learn that every act of generosity counts.

After completing their Lemonade Day experience, kids tell us that their big goals include expanding their lemonade stand product offerings the next year and eventually building a bigger business.  What is so important here is that Lemonade Day kids are equipped with the fundamentals that will drive their future successes. What that means to the communities where they live is that they will continue to serve their communities and local causes through philanthropy. We are so proud of our Lemonade Day kids and so hopeful for the future with them as the next generation of entrepreneurs, business and community leaders.

Please share this blog with others whether it is parents, teachers, youth organization leaders or business owners. We are always looking for mentors and sponsors who want to help the next wave of budding entrepreneurs!

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at debbie@lemonadeday.org.