By Jody Soileau / Bienvenue a' Broussard / Summer 2023 / Volume 1 Edition 2
The Broussard Chamber Foundation’s 2nd annual Lemonade Day Acadiana event is happening Saturday, July 22nd. Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own, and operate their own business - a lemonade stand.
The foremost objective of Lemonade Day is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become future productive members of society. Each child who registers receives access to the Lemonade Day curriculum that teaches them lessons like creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community. Along the way, they acquire skills in goal setting, problem solving, and gain self-esteem critical for future success. They keep all the money they make and are encouraged to spend some, save some, and share some.
For our first Lemonade Day Acadiana held last year, there were 59 kids from around Acadiana who registered through the website, with some of the registrants being from as far away as Alexandria, Louisiana. The event was so successful that our event chairwoman and organizer, Natasha Bryan, was recognized at a National Lemonade Day Conference for having “The Best City Engagement”.
Lemonade Day is a national organization based in Houston, Texas and currently serves 90 communities in 3 different countries. The program has served more than 1.5 million kids to date and has generated $270 million in profit, which is kept by the participating children.
While it’s free for the children to participate, the program relies on sponsors and donations to fund the event. Funds are used for the cost of curriculum materials and for assisting with start-up costs for the children’s new businesses. Any remaining funds are held for future Lemonade Day Acadiana events. We also need volunteers to help facilitate the event, mentor the kids, and to help distribute program materials to area schools.
To become a sponsor of Lemonade Day Acadiana, to donate, or to volunteer your time, go to www.lemonadeday.org/acadiana or email Jody Soileau at foundation@broussardchamber.net.
Program sponsorships and donations are fully tax-deductible through the Broussard Chamber Foundation. To learn more about the Broussard Chamber Foundation, please visit our website at www.broussardchamberfoundation.org.
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