Off to the Races: “Lemonade Season” is Off to a Strong Start

By Steven Gordon, Lemonade Day National President

Kentucky Derby

Icon Sportswire | Getty Images

Justify (7), ridden by jockey Mike Smith crosses the finish line to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

Justify winning The Kentucky Derby on May 6, 2018, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

 

“Off to the races” – Figurative:  an expression characterizing the activity or excitement that is just beginning

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/off+to+the+races

 

And they’re off!

That’s what racetrack announcers declare when horses leave the starting gate and begin their race for the finish line. 

With the world-famous 144th running of The Kentucky Derby that was won by Justify this past weekend, it seems fitting to use horse racing terminology and phrases for the start of “Lemonade Season.”  We are off to the races!

Replay of the 144th Running of the Kentucky Derby link here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/horseracing/2018/05/05/kentucky-derby-watch-replay-justify-impressive-win-144th-running/584169002/

As Lemonade leaders know all too well, April – August are action-packed months for Lemonade Day events. Thousands of young lemonade business owners, City Champions, adult mentors, sponsors and volunteers are doing their part to “Build the Future and Stir Up Success.”

Already in the last two weekends of April and first weekend in May, eager young entrepreneurs got firsthand experience selling a wide range of flavorful lemonade and greeting their customers in several states -- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Washington D.C., Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. Some had elaborate signage and three or more flavors of lemonade with fruit garnishes. Some kids sported T-shirts proudly promoting the name of their business. Some were bold, tracking down passersby and hawking their product. Others brought their dogs along. Some got tired and let their parents or relatives jump in and give them a break Others had boundless energy.

Louisville LD

 

I am betting that our young Lemonade Day business owners will agree that they are learning lessons that will them winners for the rest of their lifetime.

As each host city or military base completes its Lemonade Day events, we at Lemonade Day headquarters are eager to see the reports of how much money the kids earned and how they plan to spend some, save some, and share some with a cause they care about.   We know that Lemonade Day programs in the U.S. and Canada will generate millions of dollars this year. I have a strong suspicion that gross earnings will be many millions of dollars, but we will only know for sure if our kids and their mentors report their results

We are off to a strong start. But we are far from the finish line: we have weeks and months to go in this Lemonade Day race toward long-term entrepreneurial success. We need to stay the course and keep running our Lemonade Day race through the late summer of 2018. And then, we will start all over again with even bigger plans and goals for 2019 and beyond.

Thank you for your support!

 

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 66 territories in North America and is growing. Over the past 10 years, we have served more than 1 million kids in our kid entrepreneur programs. Within the next five years, Lemonade Day leaders estimate that 250,000 mentors and millions more kids will be hosting lemonade stands in North America and on other continents throughout the world.

Please visit LemonadeDay.org to learn how to participate in Lemonade Day in your city or to donate locally or nationally. Lemonade Day very much appreciates the support of our national sponsor Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers (raising canes.com), who is joined by our in-kind sponsors Reddy Ice Corporation (reddyice.com) and True Citrus (truelemon.com).

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