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Lemonade Day 2024!
The second annual Lemonade Day delighted residents and visitors across Sylvan Lake this Saturday with 17 unique lemonade stands popping up all over town. In total the program saw 23 young entrepreneurs and 9 sibling/friend participants.
Stands were set up in front of local businesses offering different lemonade styles and flavours. The initiative, supported by the Town of Sylvan Lake, empowers young entrepreneurs ages 8 – 11, teaching them skills for success through running their own lemonade stands.
“What a wonderful day! I had the pleasure of visiting many of the lemonade stands, and I was truly impressed by the creativity of each one. While they were all selling lemonade, every young entrepreneur had their own unique twist that made their stand special. It was also wonderful to see local sweet spot businesses promoting and cheering on the young entrepreneurs to ensure their success. I absolutely loved it!” Mayor Megan Hanson
The big winner of the day was Knoxx and Neveah proprietors of Lemon Starz, as they took home the top prize for their efforts.
“We’ve offered a variety of options from sparkling lemonade to sugar-free drinks. We want to make sure everyone can try our lemonade and have a good day. It’s been so much fun,” said Neveah, Lemon Starz co-owner.
Mya of Mya’s Bussin’ Lemonade came in second and Emmy-Lou and Hailey of Cutie Tutie Fruities earned the third spot.
Winners were chosen based on the scorecards of the two volunteer judges who went around to each of the stands and gave booth owners points based on how they did in the various judging categories. These included business pitch, presentation, value, stand appearance, health and safety, signage, branding, and customer service.
Before the big day, Lemonade Day participants put in hours of preparation. The program walks youth from a dream to a business plan while teaching them the same principles required to start any company.
Each stand is uniquely tailored to the individual kid running the business, from the name, menu, and marketing. All stands were found using an interactive map on the Lemonade Day Sylvan Lake website.
For Owen and a small cadre of family members who set up the “Hydration Station” shop in front of Sylvan Lake’s Sobeys, this marked his second year taking part in Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day.
“I decided to try some mix-ins this year,” Owen said. “I am really excited to donate 25% of my profits to the Bethany Seniors Bingo Program this year.”
Participants of Lemonade Day keep all the money they earn; however, the program encourages them to spend some, save some, and share some. Many of the kids donated a portion of their proceeds to local charities such as Red Deer’s Ronald McDonald House, Bethany Seniors Centre, and more.
For others, like Izayah, co-owner of “Refreshing Rays”, 2024 marked the first-time taking part in Lemonade Day. He partnered on the stand with his brother Ezrah who did a stand last year.
“I think it’s so fun to make money while doing something you enjoy. It’s been really fun.”
Izayah, said his favourite part has been manning his lemonade stand with his brother and sharing their unique Lemonade with family and friends, adding that he would enjoy doing another lemonade stand next year.
Each year, young entrepreneurs learn new ideas and add new twists to their business plan thanks to the Lemonade Day’s strategic lesson-based program.
Third-place winner Cutie Tutie Fruities co-owners Hailey and Emmylou had their lemonade stand set up outside of Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash and business was steady in the hot sun.
“I always thought it would be fun to have a business for the first time. It’s been so fun learning how to build a business, count money, and talk to customers,” Hailey said.
Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day would not be possible without the support of the business community. Local business owners offered storefronts for lemonade stands and mentoring for the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash provided passes for all of the kids, recognizing that hard work deserves to be rewarded.
“I think this is such a great program for youth to see the ins and outs of business,” said Chris Bowers, Sunsport Recreation Owner, “ I hope to be involved with this program in years to come. It was so nice to see all the young hard-working entrepreneurs.”
Krista Carlson, Youth Services Supervisor, and Amanda Mercer, Economic Development Officer spearhead Lemonade Day for the town and hope to see the program grow and expand across the community in coming years.
“We are so proud of our community’s youth who stepped up to participate in Lemonade Day! Many of the stands we visited throughout the day were lined up, it was heartwarming to see all the community support for this initiative.” Carlson said.
“It is such a fun program that encourages entrepreneurship and helps to develop future leaders in our community. Everyone did such a fantastic job. Congratulations to all our youth and thank you to all of our business owners who stepped up to be a sweet spot this year” Mercer said.
For more information about Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day, visit https://lemonadeday.org/sylvan-lake.
Stands were set up in front of local businesses offering different lemonade styles and flavours. The initiative, supported by the Town of Sylvan Lake, empowers young entrepreneurs ages 8 – 11, teaching them skills for success through running their own lemonade stands.
“What a wonderful day! I had the pleasure of visiting many of the lemonade stands, and I was truly impressed by the creativity of each one. While they were all selling lemonade, every young entrepreneur had their own unique twist that made their stand special. It was also wonderful to see local sweet spot businesses promoting and cheering on the young entrepreneurs to ensure their success. I absolutely loved it!” Mayor Megan Hanson
The big winner of the day was Knoxx and Neveah proprietors of Lemon Starz, as they took home the top prize for their efforts.
“We’ve offered a variety of options from sparkling lemonade to sugar-free drinks. We want to make sure everyone can try our lemonade and have a good day. It’s been so much fun,” said Neveah, Lemon Starz co-owner.
Mya of Mya’s Bussin’ Lemonade came in second and Emmy-Lou and Hailey of Cutie Tutie Fruities earned the third spot.
Winners were chosen based on the scorecards of the two volunteer judges who went around to each of the stands and gave booth owners points based on how they did in the various judging categories. These included business pitch, presentation, value, stand appearance, health and safety, signage, branding, and customer service.
Before the big day, Lemonade Day participants put in hours of preparation. The program walks youth from a dream to a business plan while teaching them the same principles required to start any company.
Each stand is uniquely tailored to the individual kid running the business, from the name, menu, and marketing. All stands were found using an interactive map on the Lemonade Day Sylvan Lake website.
For Owen and a small cadre of family members who set up the “Hydration Station” shop in front of Sylvan Lake’s Sobeys, this marked his second year taking part in Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day.
“I decided to try some mix-ins this year,” Owen said. “I am really excited to donate 25% of my profits to the Bethany Seniors Bingo Program this year.”
Participants of Lemonade Day keep all the money they earn; however, the program encourages them to spend some, save some, and share some. Many of the kids donated a portion of their proceeds to local charities such as Red Deer’s Ronald McDonald House, Bethany Seniors Centre, and more.
For others, like Izayah, co-owner of “Refreshing Rays”, 2024 marked the first-time taking part in Lemonade Day. He partnered on the stand with his brother Ezrah who did a stand last year.
“I think it’s so fun to make money while doing something you enjoy. It’s been really fun.”
Izayah, said his favourite part has been manning his lemonade stand with his brother and sharing their unique Lemonade with family and friends, adding that he would enjoy doing another lemonade stand next year.
Each year, young entrepreneurs learn new ideas and add new twists to their business plan thanks to the Lemonade Day’s strategic lesson-based program.
Third-place winner Cutie Tutie Fruities co-owners Hailey and Emmylou had their lemonade stand set up outside of Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash and business was steady in the hot sun.
“I always thought it would be fun to have a business for the first time. It’s been so fun learning how to build a business, count money, and talk to customers,” Hailey said.
Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day would not be possible without the support of the business community. Local business owners offered storefronts for lemonade stands and mentoring for the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash provided passes for all of the kids, recognizing that hard work deserves to be rewarded.
“I think this is such a great program for youth to see the ins and outs of business,” said Chris Bowers, Sunsport Recreation Owner, “ I hope to be involved with this program in years to come. It was so nice to see all the young hard-working entrepreneurs.”
Krista Carlson, Youth Services Supervisor, and Amanda Mercer, Economic Development Officer spearhead Lemonade Day for the town and hope to see the program grow and expand across the community in coming years.
“We are so proud of our community’s youth who stepped up to participate in Lemonade Day! Many of the stands we visited throughout the day were lined up, it was heartwarming to see all the community support for this initiative.” Carlson said.
“It is such a fun program that encourages entrepreneurship and helps to develop future leaders in our community. Everyone did such a fantastic job. Congratulations to all our youth and thank you to all of our business owners who stepped up to be a sweet spot this year” Mercer said.
For more information about Sylvan Lake’s Lemonade Day, visit https://lemonadeday.org/sylvan-lake.
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