Lemonade Day returns Saturday to Kootenai County

Young entrepreneurs will be slinging refreshing summer beverages Saturday at stands across North America for Lemonade Day, which will return to Kootenai County for its second season.

Three Coeur d'Alene stands could be found on the Lemonade Day online map: Lemon Squeeze, 3801 N. Player Drive; JL Lemonade, 4045 N. Government Way; and MNM Lemonade Squad, 2818 N. Government Way.

"I love Kootenai County and Coeur d'Alene," Kootenai County Lemonade Day founder Bretta Provost said in a July 11 phone interview. "The sense of connection and community is incredible; I am just very excited to help uplift and encourage the next generations of entrepreneurs through Lemonade Day."

Since its 2007 inception in Houston, the nonprofit Lemonade Day has grown from serving 2,700 kids in one city to 1 million children in more than 80 licensed markets in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and six U.S. military bases.

Provost, a recent Ms. Idaho from Coeur d'Alene who represented women over 40 as Ms. Pacific Northwest in the Continental Worldwide Pageant earlier this month, brought Lemonade Day to Kootenai County because the concept resonated with her. She said she grew up in a poor family with a single mom with mental illness, but making money through a lemonade stand gave her sense of independence.

"One thing that brought me joy was to get that Snickers bar with my friend, to buy it myself," she said. "It gave me a sense of pride and that I had options."

Lemonade Day is not just about making money — it's also about giving back while learning how to run a business.

McKenzie McMurray, 10, has spent months looking for sponsors and telling people all about her MNM Lemonade Squad stand, where she will serve prickly pear lemonade, pizza and sweet treats.

“I’m excited and ready for the day,” McKenzie said. “I’ve learned to be dedicated and that running and preparing a business is hard work and fun. It takes a lot of time and preparation.”

She said she originally planned to save some of the money from Lemonade Day, but after the Canfield Mountain incident June 29 she will donate 100% of her proceeds to the Red and Blue Foundation.

She said kids should participate in Lemonade Day.

"It is a lot of fun," she said. "You learn a lot, help the community and help so many people."

Lemonade Day Kootenai County's mission is "to help today’s youth become the business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow … one lemonade stand at a time!" The goal is to register 100 youth who will launch new businesses across Kootenai County on a single day. 

Jaxon Lupton, 6, helped build his stand and design the JL Lemonade logo. He will be serving flavored lemonades as well as treats like zucchini bread and offering special keepsake cups.

"I get to help make cupcakes with mom and I get to eat one cupcake or one cookie,” he said.

He has chosen to donate a portion of his proceeds to Make-A-Wish Idaho.

"They helped my sissy, Jaicey," Jaxon said.

Jaicey was 8 when she passed away from an undiagnosed terminal illness Sept. 1, 2023. Their mom, Jessica Lupton, said Jaxon will have pictures of his sister up at his stand in her honor and his stand will be decked out with Make-A-Wish stars.

"That was Jaicey’s No. 1 thing, they always set up lemonade stands on the street," Lupton said.

Youth from kindergarten to eighth grade who are interested in hosting Lemonade Day stands can visit local.lemonadeday.org/kootenai-county for details. Registration is free.

Provost said what gets her every time is the sense of pride that radiates from Lemonade Day kids.

"It even gets me a little choked up that you can see on their faces what they can accomplish," she said. "We’re so disconnected in this world; kids are on social media and there are so many things that make kids not feel worthy." 

But through Lemonade Day, she said, those kids can say, "Regardless of my background or education, I can do this. I accomplished something and learned something along the way."

    Jaxon Lupton, 6, of Coeur d'Alene, and furry friend Shadow take a break from building a lemonade stand in preparation for Lemonade Day Kootenai County, coming up Saturday.
  

    McKenzie McMurray, 10, plans to donate her Lemonade Day sales Saturday to the Red and Blue Foundation, which supports local first responders through illness, death and injury. She is seen June 7 at the fire boat with the Coeur d'Alene Fire crew. From left: Paramedic/Capt. Nate Hyder, engineer/paramedic Erik Loney, McKenzie, Capt. Greg Thaxton and firefighter/paramedic Lino Arellano.