LEMONADE DAY RETURNS TO OTTUMWA
Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress held its fourth annual Lemonade Day this year , with participating children not only learning valuable new lessons , but also building on previous experience .
Lemonade Day got its start in Texas with a single lemonade stand . It ’ s defined as a youth entrepreneurship program that teaches kids how to start , own and operate their own business by hosting a lemonade stand in their community .
“ It teaches kids how to build a business , do business planning and how to execute that business plan ,” said GOPIP Executive Director Marc Roe . “ It shows them how to be employers and what that involves . It teaches them how to have good customer service and marketing skills , how to be philanthropic at the end of the day and how to pay employees .”
The event is open to children in the third through fifth grades . They work with mentors and sponsors to develop a business plan and present it to the Lemonade Council .
“ It ’ s so much more than just building a lemonade stand , and I know that some people like to wrap all of that into one little dinky ball and say : ‘ Oh , they ’ re just doing a lemonade stand ,’ but it ’ s much more than that ,” Roe said .
The vast majority of mentors are parents . Other business owners also volunteer to be mentors . Students are encouraged to spend a little , save a little , and give a little from their proceeds .
Registrations begin in earnest at the end of January and throughout February , then participants have March and April to work through the app , watch instructional videos and get their business plan submitted .
According to Roe , one of the more remarkable aspects of Lemonade Day that they ’ ve been able to observe is how returning participants are able to take the lessons they learned in previous years and apply it to the present , leading to better results .
One example highlighted by GOPIP was Charles Smith , who won Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022 . He had a goal of breaking his 2023 donation of $ 944.64 for the Ottumwa Fire Department Local 395 and Wapello County Rural Volunteer Fire Department . He did so by raising $ 1,484.56 .
“ It ’ s absolutely amazing that they have proven that they are taking what they ’ re given and they ’ re learning from it , and what ’ s more important , they ’ re expanding upon it ,” Roe said . “ So it ’ s just such a good community event , and that would be probably the single most proud I am of any events that we do is that one event .”
The tentative date of the next Lemonade Day is May 2025 . For more information on the event or how to participate in 2025 , visit gopip . org or the Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress Facebook page . The program is also seeking mentors , investors , business partners , location and customers to make the day a success .
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