Pat Wiley and Mike Fezzey (back, l-r) saluted Alexis (middle), Sasha and Jada Roberts (front, l-r), who had the second-most successful stand at Lemonade Day Detroit.

“We’re thrilled to announce we almost doubled our participants over last year, from 2,600 in 2011 to 4,900 young business owners June 9,” said Mike Fezzey, President of Huntington's Southeastern Michigan Region, Lemonade Day Detroit’s presenting sponsor. “These proprietors had siblings, friends, and the caring adults who supported them in their business ventures. From these participants to our sponsors and community partners, it was truly a community-wide effort for and by our kids.”

• Those kids earned a profit of about $936,000.

• One of the key messages for the young business owners take in is the concept of financial management and supporting their community. They are encouraged to “spend a little, save a little and share a little.” Based on the data collected, the children gave about $230,000 to charities of their choice.

Lemonade Day Detroit is part of a national effort to teach children how to start, own and operate a business through the simple and time-honored act of running a lemonade stand. The goal is to help the youth of Metro Detroit learn valuable skills and the positives of business, to help them become the next generation of leaders.

Top Sellers

These three lemonade stands were the top money makers, based on the results submissions, tabulated by Lemonade Day’s national office:  

First Place – Suite at a Pistons Game at the Palace

• Full n Fabulous, a Detroit-based organization for plus-sized girls.
• $943 profit
• They donated all their profits to the National Association of Full-Figured Teens.

Second Place – $100 gift card

• Alexis, Jada and Sasha Roberts of Northville
• $705 profit
• They donated a portion of their earnings to the Greg K. Monroe Foundation.

Third Place – $75 gift card                                                                                                      

• Lacey Jade McKee, Jazmin and Jakob Blanks of Clawson
• $635 profit
• They donated all their profits to Home FurEver Rescue

Best Stand

Lemonaders posted pictures of their stands on the Lemonade Day Detroit Facebook page for the Best Stand contest. The public voted for their favorites by liking the photos, and the winners are:

First Place – Four box seats at a Detroit Tigers game

• Makayla Effinger and Marcia Lyons
• From Detroit
• 948 Votes

Second Place – $100 gift card

• Khymaya Ayanna Perkins and Darren Keith Perkins II
• From Troy
• 806 Votes

Third Place – $75 gift card

• Lacey Jade, Jazmin and Jakob McKee

• From Clawson
• 330 Votes

Lemonade Day is a part of Prepared 4 Life, a nonprofit that provides fun, proactive and experiential programs infused with life skills, character education and entrepreneurship. Lemonade Day was born in Houston in 2007, and was inspired by the lessons local entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael Holthouse taught his young daughter and her friend when they set up a lemonade stand. Since then it has grown to a nationwide program, and this year Lemonade Day is in 31 cities.

To sign up or learn about ways that everyone can get involved in Lemonade Day Detroit 2013, please visit detroit.lemonadeday.org  or visit the Lemonade Day Detroit Facebook page. For information about sponsorships, partnerships or donations, please contact Elyse Ruen at            248-953-8123       or eruen@jrturnbull.com.