Entrepreneurially-minded youngsters set up shop around Vermilion on Saturday, June 15, joining kids across Canada, the United States, and South Africa in participating in Lemonade Day, an experiential program designed to foster business acumen from a young age.
The Citrus Shack, operated by 4-year-old Bennett Kwasnycia with the help of his mother Katie, was set up outside the entrance of the Co-op grocery store, while Ayvah Leadbeater, a third-year veteran of the program, set up Something Interesting About Lemons just outside of Christina Home Furnishings.
Both young entrepreneurs were open for business starting at 11 a.m., taking advantage of the calm and sunny day. Leadbeater’s stand offered lemonade, a strawberry-raspberry lemonade, and mini muffins, while Kwasnycia had regular lemonade as well as a sugar-free alternative in addition to watermelon, strawberry, and peach flavourings and an assortment of chips.
The Lemonade Day training program, known as Lemmy University and delivered as an app or a workbook, equipped participants for the day by helping them set goals, make plans, and acquire a business license, food permit, and lease agreement for the day.
Sierrah Bennett of Startup Lloydminster and Councillor for the Town of Vermilion Robert Pulyk served as judges for the stands, assessing customer service attitude, creativity, and uniqueness. Kwasnycia won the local ribbon for Best Tasting Lemonade, while Leadbeater won ribbons for local Entrepreneur of the Year and Best Stand. Each ribbon was accompanied by $100 cash, and Leadbeater’s placing of Entrepreneur of the Year will allow her to move forward to the National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Contest.
The Lemonade Day program aims to encourage children and youth to learn how to save some money, spend some money, and give some to charity. Since the program began in 2018, Lemonade Day kids have donated over $35,000 to charities and made over $110,000 in profit. Kwasnycia was saving up his profits to buy a game, with plans to donate the rest to long-term care. Leadbeater was enthusiastically saving up for a cat. “It’s really fun and it’s really good to get kids out,” reflected Leadbeater on the experience. Kwasnycia said things were “going good” despite being “kind of cold and windy.”
Lemonade Day extends beyond a single child selling lemonade; it’s a community-wide initiative focused on investing in our youth. This program fosters self-reliance and financial literacy while introducing essential business and entrepreneurial skills. Through Lemonade Day, young people gain confidence and envision new opportunities for their future, preparing them to become tomorrow’s leaders, volunteers, and innovative citizens.
To see pictures of lemonade stands from across northern Alberta, visit https://www.facebook.com/LemonadeDayNorthernAlberta/
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