FORT CAVAZOS, Texas -- Planks, pallets and posts were assembled with the hopes and dreams of young entrepreneurs Saturday afternoon as they look to open their own lemonade stand businesses in the Fort Cavazos area as part of Lemonade Day.
Lemonade Day, which takes place on the first weekend of May, allows ambitious, young entrepreneurs to head their own business ventures in a neighborhood of their choosing across and around the installation, providing crisp, refreshing glasses of lemonade to battle against the Texas heat.
The event was created by the Lemonade Day 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which started in Houston and has been a Texas mainstay since 2007.
Ally Torres Olszynski, city director for Lemonade Day in the Fort Cavazos area, said this is her third year contributing to the now 15th annual, local event.
“Build-a-Stand is one of my favorite events of the season,” she said. “The event is a great way for the children and parents to come together, create and learn that hard work pays off.”
More than 40 volunteers participate throughout all of the events taking place from March to May. The local chapter of Lemonade Day is sponsored by area businesses and banks, such as First National Bank Texas, First Convenience Bank, First Heroes National Bank and the shop which hosted the Build-a-Stand event: Heights Lumber and Supply Inc.
“In the beginning, I didn’t understand what Lemonade Day was and all that,” said Heights Lumber and Supply Inc. owner-operator Kelly Eakin, who has been supporting the event for a decade, “but we got together, and we decided to do our first building stand workshop (in 2014).”
The workshop utilized wood and screws from Eakin’s family business as well as wooden pallets donated by Quikrete. Attendants were treated to complimentary Chick-Fil-A, also a local sponsor, carpentry assistance by volunteers and a chance to spend time together in the cool storage room.
Eakin has been working with Lemonade Day to connect with the community and provide opportunities for participating families to build and bring home their own unique, special stands. A mainstay in the area, her business supports other community organizations and events, such as the Bell County and Killeen Junior Livestock Show.
Also working with Lemonade Day for the first time is Asia Dennis, a volunteer, who also grew up around family businesses and is volunteering to support her community.
“I grew up in a family that has four different businesses,” she said. “So I feel like entrepreneurship runs in my family, and I feel like it creates another option for people to start their own business, do their own thing.”
Dennis also remarked how the event offered an opportunity for families to bond together while also providing mentorship for the children.
“It just gives more options on creating financial literacy for kids,” she said.
Next for the Lemonade Day program is the Best of the Zest event, where participants will pitch their lemonade stand business to a group of judges to win prizes. The stands will be on display and open for business in neighborhoods in the Fort Cavazos area starting the weekend of May 4 and can be found at lemonadeday.org/fort-cavazos-area/stands-map.
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