Lemonade Day Alaska: making leaders out of lemons.

• Author: Slaten, Russ
• Position: ENTREPRENEURS

Growing up from a child to a responsible adult is one of the most exciting and even challenging transformations in life. Many people remember their first attempt at making their own money by mowing lawns or washing cars. The age old children's business endeavor of opening up a lemonade stand is brought to the forefront with more than just money on the mind.

"Lemonade Day is a program spread out over several weeks where kids are learning about budgeting, marketing, giving back to the community, and saving for their future," says Wells Fargo Community Affairs Officer Dana Rogers.

Lemonade Day Alaska has grown since its inception in 2011 from 941 registered kids, offered only in Anchorage, to 3,225 registered children statewide in 2013. This year, Lemonade Day Alaska is Saturday, June 14. Registration began in April online at alaska.lemonadeday. org. Backpacks with program materials are picked up at sponsoring organizations once registered.

"Last year, 79 percent of the kids chose to donate a portion of their earnings to a charity, and 52 percent decided to open up or deposit money into a savings account, so the lessons are definitely getting through to the kids," says Lemonade Day Development Coordinator Sam Callen. Lemonade Day Alaska was started 2011 in Anchorage by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development. The first year saw a total of $149,000 in revenue from 941 kids with lemonade stands. The number of registered kids more than doubled the next year to 2,536, and the UA Center for Economic Development saw the total revenue nearly double to $287,000. Extending Lemonade Day to have a statewide reach caused the major shift in 2012. The latest statistics show continued growth with more than 3,000 kids and total revenue of $419,000 last year.

Numbers show that participation by Alaskan kids is growing and that they are learning positive life lessons, but none of it would be possible without the multitude of organizations that volunteer time and money to the project.

Expanding the Lemonade Day program into smaller communities outside of Anchorage was typically led by city employees, teachers, and members of local chambers or nonprofit groups. In one community, a real estate agent became the Lemonade Day Alaska organizer, says Lemonade Day Program Coordinator Natasha Callen. "It doesn't necessarily have to be someone from an organization. If you want to bring Lemonade Day to your community, we can help."

Last year nearly twenty...