Local Lemonade Day Entrepreneur is first runner-up at national contest
Special to Leader-Press
Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Kaydence Roberts has big plans for her business. Having raised more than $40,000 in cash and supplies for the Copperas Cove animal shelter with money raised in part from Lemonade Day, Roberts looks to grow her business each year.
To reflect the cause to which she donates money she raises at her stand, Roberts and her grandfather, John Hale, redesigned her lemonade stand to resemble a dog house with pictures of dogs available for adoption at the animal shelter.
The extra effort not only won her the Best Branded Stand award locally and the National Best Stand Design Contest, but it boosted her sales to $1,600, her highest total in her four years of hosting a lemonade stand.
In the midst of a pandemic, she met customers where they were whether that be at home where they could purchase online or at her stand where customers were served in person. Her goal in the next two years is to create stands that other children can use for lemonade day and franchise her business.
Her innovation and ability to be successfully exceed personal fundraising records earned Roberts second place in the National Lemonade Day Youth Entrepreneur of the Year competition competing with youngsters across the United States and several more countries.
“The Fort Hood/Killeen Area Lemonade Day staff told me on a Zoom call that I won. I couldn’t believe it,” the 13-year-old said. “The announcement being on Zoom was another reminder of how much we have had to change the way we live and do business because of the pandemic.”
In addition to pivoting her business to adjust to COVID-19 when generating revenue, Roberts also adhered to all CDC guidelines with her business to not only ensure customer safety but build confidence in her brand.
Lemonade Day National Director Debbie Nazarian shared Roberts’ Lemonade Day journey in her blog along with the winner’s from Puerto Rico.
“Lemonade Day kids are amazing. Their creativity, drive and resilience confirm that our organization is truly making a difference in their lives. I love to watch them blossom and hear about their ongoing entrepreneurial journeys,” Nazarian said. “This was a challenging year for Lemonade Day, but our City Directors, their staff and communities helped our aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their dream of running a lemonade stand.”
Roberts received a prize of $300 for her selection as runner-up to the national title. She says she will reinvest in her business to raise even more for the animal shelter in 2021.