Youth will be out in full force on Saturday for Lemonade Day in Grande Prairie, Wembley, Beaverlodge, and Clairmont. They will show off their business designs, and names, pick a location of their choosing in their neighborhood and deliver refreshments.
Business Development Officer at Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region Sarah Bateman says it’s a great opportunity for youth to learn.
“We work with youth through a workbook and they learn steps to opening a business. Then they run their own lemonade stand for a day.”
Last year, 696 youth participated in Lemonade Day in Northern Alberta and they donated $7,371.20 to local charities. Bateman is encouraged that the program continues to grow, with it being the third year Community Futures brought the program to the local area.
“There are over 700 youth registered in Northern Alberta this year and locally we have over 100, with 26 stands,” she says
Bateman explains that Community Futures has received a lot of positive feedback from parents and youth that have participated in Lemonade Day.
“They have a lot of fun with this program and they learn a lot about business”
Participants are encouraged to donate a portion of their profits to charities, as part of the initiative.
“We tell them that they can spend some, share some, save some. That way they are profit sharing. Then they pick a charity that they want to share some profits with,” she adds.
To view a map of stands in your local area, visit the Lemonade Day website. If you’re out and about on Saturday, you can stop by the Bed Shoppe where Community Futures will have a tent set up and they’ll have a list of local stands.