Lemonade Day is almost here!

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 20th - Lemonade Day is almost here!!

Driving through Wayne County, Indiana last year on our way to see … a car show? an art exhibit? something? … we were surprised and even a tad perplexed by the plethora of lemonade stands popping up on every corner and beside every road along our route.

After the third or fourth cheerful face and sun-sparkling pitcher of homemade lemonade, we stopped for a quick and refreshing taste before heading northward to our destination. My hope had been to return early enough in the day to sample more of the sweet-tart elixir, but it wasn’t meant to be.

So it was with real delight that I learned about this Sunday’s Lemonade Day in Wayne County. It was only after I looked into the story a little more closely that I learned about the real purpose of this nationwide event and the positive impact it can have on our communities.

Before the first Lemonade Day was held in Houston, Texas in 2007, Richmond native and founder Michael Holthouse, was inspired by his daughter Lissa. He came up with an idea to give children a real-life look into the world of business. For a month prior to Lemonade Day, each child works with a committed adult to understand the steps necessary to set up and operate their own enterprise. The hands-on work of adding and subtracting, research and marketing and debt and profit culminate in the satisfaction that can only come from experience.

Children throughout Wayne county will be selling the fruits of their efforts – freshly squeezed – this Sunday, May 20th beginning at noon. Simply buying a cup, or two or three, is a delicious way to encourage the independent spirit of entrepreneurship.Those few cents will provide the youthful business owner with funds to cover their expenses, repay any investors, donate to a charity that each child selects, set a portion aside for savings, and yes – even spend some of it for fun!

This year more than 150,000 young tycoons from 36 cities will set up lemonade stands in towns, along country roads and in neighborhoods. Their month-long preparations will bloom and flourish in a day long celebration of the liquid sunshine known as lemonade!

Please be a real part of their success by stopping at a couple of stands this Sunday afternoon. For an investment of a few cents and a few sips, you, too, can reap the rewards of these kids’ enthusiasm and diligence. Enjoy!!!

If you would like more information, or if your community is interested in participating in next year’s Lemonade Day, please visit the links below:

http://waynecounty.lemonadeday.org/

http://lemonadeday.org/

Susan Ray is a freelance writer and co-founder of a local writers’ group. She loves her life in Indiana and is passionate about discovering and sharing the little known treasures and the unexpected beauty of the Hoosier state with newcomers and natives alike. “When I first visited Indiana, I expected the stereotypical corn and beans and flat landscape. What I found instead were acres of history, culture and adventure!” Susan often shares these forays into the wonderland of Indiana with her companionable husband and sends far too many postcards to her Tar Heel son and daughter-in-law. Visit her blog at http://discoveringhome.com/ and take a look at the latest news from the writers’ group at http://wordwritesguild.org/