Even the best business plans need to be reworked from time to time. So when chilly conditions threatened to sour Lemonade Day on June 13, enterprising young business owners bundled up in blankets and sleeping bags — or moved their operations inside.
Lemonade Day, now in its fifth year in Alaska and fourth in the region, encourages kids to try their hands at running a small business. Last year, lemonade stands across the Bering Strait earned more than $6,500, and nearly 300 kids participated.
And the program is growing. This year’s official results are still being tabulated, but Alice Bioff — Kawerak’s city coordinator and organizer of Lemonade Day events across the region — said the early numbers are promising.
Golovin had nine stands organized by nearly two dozen kids, while Unalakleet had more than 30 stands with 55 participants. Bioff says this was the first time every community in the region had a volunteer coordinator — including Diomede, which in its first taste of Lemonade Day saw half a dozen stands run by nine young business owners.
But in Nome, where roughly 100 kids registered, the cold weather brought a handful of them to the Mini-Convention Center, which they transformed into a bustling marketplace. Customers were able to sample offerings above and beyond the traditional lemonade stand, with inventories that included hot chocolate, muffins, popcorn balls, eskimo ice cream, fry bread, and cinnamon rolls.
In addition to thinking outside the box with their wares, two 8-year old business partners — Aries Pilcher and Tiffany Willis — crafted a creative business name: “Secret Agent Lemonade.” They dressed up as spies selling “super cool” items like hair clips and trail mix.
“We like agents because they wear black and they have cool stuff,” Pilcher said. “And I had a lot of black stuff, and I had this cool thing what we’ll hold our money in. And it’s super cool … and yeah.”
Back outside, just off of Front Street, 14-year old Nicholas Tocktoo stuck by his booth despite the dreary weather, selling agutuk and fry bread in addition to lemonade. He was honest about who made the food: “My mom,” he said.
But for Nicholas, Lemonade Day was all about salesmanship. He greeted customers, served food, and made change, learning with a little help from his mom. Even as second-year entrepreneur, Nicholas said,“It’s pretty hard.”
Checking back in at the Mini, business was still humming. But after all that responsibility, did any of these entrepreneurs come away from Lemonade Day wanting to own a business? Secret Agent Aries said yes, but with a twist. “I want to own a business — and be a scientist because I like science,” she said.
But 9-year old Kyle Eide, who spent the previous evening making popcorn balls for the big day, says he’s had his fill of the entrepreneur life. “No,” he said, “too much work.”
Editor’s note: A version of this story aired and appeared online incorrectly stating the number of years Lemonade Day has taken place in Alaska. The above story includes the corrected information.
