4 minute read
Nearly 500 area youth participated in this year's sweet event
WHEN LIFE GIVES THEM LEMONS… THEY BECOME YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS!
By Cathryn Sprynczynatyk
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When Christine Nelson and Josie Smyle took over the Lemonade Day program last year, they had a trial by fire. Not only were they experiencing for the first-time an event that engages 500 youth in Bismarck-Mandan. They experienced their first Lemonade Day during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s all in the past. Happily, Lemonade Day returned to normal in 2021.
Nelson and Smyle are the City Directors of Lemonade Day. They are also Event & Sales Manager and Events Coordinator, respectively, at the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC.
On June 19, Bismarck-Mandan hosted its fifth annual Lemonade Day. Lemonade Day is a curriculum based out of Lemonade Day national headquarters in Houston. The free curriculum teaches young entrepreneurs how to start a business through the model of setting up a lemonade stand. “Having kids learn about entrepreneurship at a young age may interest them in being an entrepreneur when they get older,” Smyle said.
This year, 475 kids registered for Lemonade Day. This was a big improvement after COVID-19 impacted numbers and only 188 kids registered in 2020.
The Lemonade Day curriculum is designed for grades 3-8, but it can be adapted to any age level.
Youth learn business and entrepreneurship lessons such as the cost of goods, return on investment, creating their product, expenses, profit margins, and collaborating with business partners. The curriculum is designed for grades 3-8, but it can be adapted to any age level.
Simle Middle School Teacher Kerry Oberlander brought Lemonade Day to his students. In May, his students created lemonade stands, sold lemonade and baked goods to their classmates, and donated the profits to the Simle Middle School pantry. On average, each group made $85 in 20-minutes of sales.
Jared Shoults served as a Lemonade Day City Champion this year. Shoults is Co-Owner of multiple restaurants including Grand Junction Grilled Subs, Laughing Sun Brewery, and The Craftcade.
“It’s very important to inspire young people and show them it’s possible,” Shoults said. “It’s not a crazy, out-there dream to run your own business.”
Since the Chamber EDC has been running Lemonade Day for five years, the staff have seen some young entrepreneurs grow up before their eyes. Abby Daniels has participated in Lemonade Day for multiple years, and she is a past winner of the Best Tasting Contest. This year, Daniels graduated to being a judge for the Best Tasting Contest.
“We’re excited to see the growth next year,” Nelson said. “We know it’s going to be bigger, better and more entrepreneurial.”
NIAHLA’S SWEET N SASSY LEMONADE
Niahla Moore, 8, is an old pro when it comes to Lemonade Day. Niahla has been a Lemonade Day entrepreneur for three years, and she will be a fourth-grader this fall.
Niahla’s business was Niahla’s Sweet N Sassy Lemonade. Her investors were parents Damion and Adrianna Moore. Her employee was 4-year-old brother, Nolan… well, kind of. Nolan tried to work for his big sister, but he got tired.
“The important part is budgeting and managing her money,” said mom Adrianna Moore.
This year, Niahla made $320 gross. After subtracting the cost of supplies and paying back her investors, Niahla made $270 net profit.
The Lemonade Day curriculum encourages kids to be intentional about how much they save, spend, and donate. Niahla donates 50 percent of her profits to Heaven’s Helpers Soup Café, where she volunteers. She invested 25 percent in her college fund, and she gets to spend the remaining 25 percent.
“We wanted to teach her don’t spend it all at once,” Adrianna Moore said, “have it spread out all through the summer. If you see something you want in the store, budget for it. We wanted to teach her the value of a dollar.”
Niahla spent some of her money treating her dad to Mo’s Snow Shack shave ice. Normally, dad is the one who buys.
The other exciting part about Lemonade Day was when Niahla took First Place in this year’s Best Tasting Contest. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to bring their best tasting lemonade and some decorations for their stand. Niahla got nervous when she saw the neighboring stand decked out with pink decorations, pink flamingos, and pink lemonade.
“I got scared because I thought it was about the design, but my mom said it’s about the lemonade,” Niahla said.
Niahla won First Place with her mango lemonade, strawberry lemonade, blue raspberry lemonade, and classic lemonade. Even though Lemonade Day has passed, Niahla hasn’t retired from running her business. Her family lives on a busy street, so Niahla plans to run her lemonade stand throughout the summer. She will even have a new employee — 14-year-old cousin Melania Ortega is visiting from Chicago. The young entrepreneurs have big plans and big business dreams for the summer.
Niahla Moore made $270 net profit on Lemonade Day.
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