Copperas Cove kids become entrepreneurs for Lemonade Day

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press

Dozens of children across the Copperas Cove, Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights area got down to business selling lemonade and lemon-themed treats as part of Lemonade Day weekend. 
There were several stands set up throughout Copperas Cove Saturday and Sunday. 
Davira Rios, a first grader at Clements/Parsons Elementary, held her lemonade stand, called Davira’s Lemonade, at her house on Sunday afternoon. This was her third year participating in Lemonade Day, and she was excited to be able to make money selling lemonade. Davira sold lemonade and cherry limeade along with cupcakes and cake pop bites for donations. 
“I love doing Lemonade Day because people get snacks, and I just want people to have food to have, and I love doing lemonade stands because I just like them,” Davira said. 
Davira said she plans on saving up most of her money, but she would like to use a portion of her money to help dogs, like the ones she sees on T.V. that need a home. 
Davira’s mom, Susana said they decided to participate in Lemonade Day to help Davira learn valuable money skills. 
“She’s at the age where she’s trying to figure out money so of course everything’s a dollar, but at least with the donations, we get quarters, we get all sorts of different types of change, so that’s one reason why we do it,” Susana said. “Another reason why is because it honestly helps her save up for certain things. Throughout the year, she’ll be like, ‘Oh, I want something,’ and the one that’s the biggest, it’s like, ‘Okay, wait until your lemonade stand for that.’”
In front of the Copperas Cove Leader-Press office at Preferred Plaza, Five Hills Junior Ambassador Maddox Tobias had his Dr. Seuss-themed lemonade stand, selling Lorax Lemonade, Pink Ink Yink Drink Strawberry Lemonade and Truffula Tree Sweet Iced Tea along with cupcakes, Red Fish and Blue Fish rice crisp cereal treats and more. Tobias also had raffle prizes including afghan blankets donated by Connie Mitchell, who also sponsored Maddox’s Free Little Libraries refurbishment project. 
“I was so excited that it was today, and today’s the day!” Tobias said about setting up his stand on Saturday. “It’s not raining and perfect.”
Tobias is using his funds to help purchase books for foster children to read and keep. 
Located by Bush’s Chicken, Little Miss Five Hills Haelyn Hendrix and her brother, the 2020 Little Mister Five Hills Jordan Hendrix sold three flavors of lemonade with their parents. Their mom, Hana, said that they were going to use the money they raised to purchase books on multicultural awareness to donate to the Free Little Libraries, run by their fellow Five Hills titleholder Junior Ambassador Maddox Tobias, because Haelyn’s platform this year is Multicultural Diversity Awareness.. 
“Last year, my son sold a three-layer lemonade and before the day was over, he was able to make the three-layered lemonade, so I think it’s amazing that he gets to learn don’t put your hands in the cups- food safety- plus how to spend money to make money,” Hana said. “I think it’s very important that even at three and five years old that they learn about food safety and about entrepreneurship and about spending money to make money, and then when you get the money, investing or maybe spending on yourself, rewarding yourself and then putting the rest in savings.”
Just down the highway, 2020 Five Hills Ambassador Hayley Sawyer set up her pirate ship themed stand at the Walgreens in Copperas Cove, selling her award- winning Coconut Pineapple Lemon Yoho! lemonade, lemon mousse boats, shirts and more. Sawyer also sold raffle tickets for a pirate ship kite. The Coconut Pineapple Lemon Yoho lemonade won the Fort Hood Area Lemonade Day awards for Most Unique Lemonade and Best Lemonade Presentation.  
“My lemonade stand is a pirate ship because we are taking the high seas for heroes,” Sawyer said. “We are currently working with Operation Stand Down Central Texas to help the homeless veterans, and we hope to raise $1,000 for their cause because of course one homeless veteran is one too many.”
Sawyer said she had fun helping put her stand together and fully embraced the pirate theme, with plastic swords and mini pirate flags galore. She was happy to see people stop by and purchase some lemonade. 
Over on Avenue D, Little Mister Five Hills Swayze Gray and mom, Sarah, set up his lemonade stand, the Lemon Hut, in front of Nice Cutz Barber Shop. Customers who stopped for lemonade at Swayze’s Lemon Hut had the chance to enter a raffle for a free haircut. 
Swayze sold raspberry lemonade and was raising money for the March of Dimes. Sarah said that Lemonade Day has helped Swayze develop his entrepreneurial skills. 
“It’s been really nice to see Swayze grow,” Sarah said. “He’s done the app, and he’s learned a lot along the way. They have Lemmy that makes it really kid friendly for him, so he’s been so excited to come up with his own type of lemonade to make something that would be different, choosing what to do with his money and then also young entrepreneurship.”
Young Miss Five Hills Emily Kimball set up her “Forget Me Not” lemonade stand in front of Frames and Things in the Cove Terrace Shopping Center, selling lemonade and iced tea with the option to add blackberry puree. Kimball raised funds to go towards Alzheimer’s Research in honor of her grandmother, True, who is currently in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s disease. 
Kimball said she calls her grandmother all the time, but due to COVID-19, the family has not been able to visit, and she doesn’t really remember them. 
“I decided that this year I was going to donate all my time and really try to get as much money as I can to go to research,” Kimball said. 
Typically held the first weekend in May, Lemonade Day is a nationwide program aimed at teaching kids money management and entrepreneurial skills. Lemonade Day was brought to the Fort Hood area in 2010 by First National Bank Texas and Fort Hood National Bank, according to the Fort Hood Area Lemonade Day website.