Registration is officially open for 400 future business owners who will be putting their entrepreneurial skills to work this summer as part of Okotoks’ first Lemonade Day.
Participants can register online until April 20th, or until they hit the maximum number of 400 youths. Lemonade Day committee member Melissa Whitney said they’ve been heading into schools to encourage kids to take part, and said they’re anticipating registration to fill up quickly.
“There's a lot of really positive excitement about it so we really encourage people to jump on the website and have a look at Lemonade Day,” she said. “Start thinking about it, start talking with their kids about it and start talking with friends or siblings that they may want to partner with and get to that registration page and get everyone registered up.”
Registration and participation is free and anyone under 18 can participate. Once they’re all signed up, participants will receive a kit that includes two workbooks, one with lessons for the child and the other is for the mentor who will be helping them through the process. And for anyone needed a bit of extra help, Whitney said the Okotoks business community has already rallied behind the project and is eager to help the little entrepreneurs get started.
“There’s a few other resources that we're providing– one is mentor sessions,” she said. “Business owners are going to provide some of their time and be at a venue on four different nights where kids and parents can go to those venues if they're working through a lesson and they have questions about picking their location, or they have questions about marketing, they'll be able to go meet with the mentors and get some one on one counseling about different ideas.”
Whitney said the ideal number is two to a stand, which means the committee is hoping to see roughly 200 stands throughout town on June 13. Next year, they’re anticipating that number could grow if all goes smoothly this year.
“Not only is this our first year here in Okotoks but this is one of first towns doing Lemonade Day anywhere in Canada. So by capping that number it just helps us to really push and make sure this year is a success,” she said. “We expect we will grow once everyone experiences Lemonade Day, I think everyone's going to want to be involved.”
To register or for more information, visit www.okotoks.lemonadeday.org.
