By Steven Gordon, Lemonade Day National President

“I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream…”

Excerpt from famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves in America

https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE

Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday in the United States that was celebrated yesterday, Jan. 15.   Dr. King was referring to the American Dream as outlined by our Founding Fathers who authored the Declaration of Independence.   Dr. King, a progressive civil rights leader and clergyman, was an outspoken proponent of equality, liberty and justice for all people. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lemonade Day leaders and supporters are believers in the American Dream. We believe that all children and all adults -- regardless of race, color, culture or socio-economic status -- have the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  We believe that financial freedom and self-empowerment are key components of the realizing the American Dream. Lemonade Day teaches children business and leadership lessons that will last a lifetime.   Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade who participate in Lemonade Day learn how to launch their own lemonade business. Equipped with step-by-step workbooks and guided by adult mentors, Lemonade Day kids learn lessons related to planning, product development, marketing, promotion, sales, customer service, financial management, and charitable giving. After hosting a lemonade stand at a location of their choice, young lemonade business owners are advised to “spend some, save some, and share some” of their profits for a cause that matters to them.

Since Lemonade Day was founded in 2007, more than 1 million kids have participated in Lemonade Day. We are proud of that. And yet, we know we can do better.

We have a big dream for Lemonade Day.  Our goal is to inspire millions more young kids in the U.S., Canada and many other countries to experience business ownership through the power and simplicity of hosting a lemonade stand. We are “Building the Future and Stirring Up Success” – meaning we are helping Lemonade Day youth build the confidence necessary to start productive businesses in the future that will create jobs, benefit their community, and make the world a better place.

If you are reading this, I suspect you share our dream. Please visit lemonadeday.org and continue to support us in influencing business owners of the future.

About Lemonade Day

Founded in Houston in 2007 by Michael and Lisa Holthouse, Lemonade Day is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching every child across North America the business and financial skills that are the key ingredients of entrepreneurship. By learning these skills early in life, children will be better prepared to be successful, financially healthy adults. Through our fun, hands-on program Kids K-5 are empowered to start their very own business—a lemonade stand—and experience the feeling of earning real money, using 100% of their profit to spend, save and share based on their own goals.

Lemonade Day is hosted in 62 cities throughout the United States. Over the past 10 years, we have served more than 1 million kids in our kid entrepreneur programs.

Visit LemonadeDay.org to learn how to participate in Lemonade Day in your city.