Lemonade Brigade wants to help raise money for local charities

What’s yellow, sour, sweet, quenches thirst and can teach your child how to become a millionaire while helping charities? No, it’s not a 1200-pound gorilla in a lemon suit; it’s The Lemonade Brigade.

The Lemonade Brigade is the brainchild of Mary Brent, 12, and Beverly Brown, 9, two sisters who have devised a way to help charities using lemonade this summer.

The franchise-like stands are their dream, but not to make money for CDs or DVDs. They want to raise money for charity through their group, Kids Wanna Help and the Lemonade Brigade.

On April 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tchefuncte Country Club, third- through sixth-grade girls and fourth- through sixth-grade boys are invited to come learn how to raise money for charities by starting their own successful business, using a lemonade stand as the business model.

The Brown sisters have organized the event for young entrepreneurs, and presentations will include speakers on such topics as “What it’s like to start your own successful service business before you are a grown-up,” presented by St. Tammany Parish High School Student of the Year Trigg Burrage, who has his own business as a magician; and “Creative ideas for business that kids can run by themselves,” presented by occupational therapist Shannon Mangum.

There are also presentations scheduled on how to market a business, fiscal responsibility, successful communication, effective presentations, how to run a professional and profitable lemonade stand, how to interview employees and how to choose a charity that’s right for your business.

While the topics consume adult employers’ time every day, the approach is geared toward the younger business owner, with one goal set as a learning experience for participants.

The Browns have even arranged for sponsors such as Uniforms by Bayou — a Mega Platinum sponsor, providing T-shirts, hats, aprons and other items with the logo imprinted at below their cost. The other Platinum Sponsor is Honda of Covington.

At the end of the workshop, charities will present their organizations for consideration for the proceeds generated. Representatives of the charities will explain why their charity needs the money and how the charity spends the money they get.

A lot of what will be learned in the workshop will be applicable to other businesses, even for profit ventures as these young entrepreneurs get older. They will also learn things such as how to determine cost, profit, how to price an item for sale and even how to become a millionaire.

Last fall, Mary Brent staged a fashion show at the Tchefuncte Country Club that raised $11,000 for leukemia patients. She also arranged for models. The girls’ mother, Stacy, applauds and supports their efforts, but said, “The girls do all the work.”

The business has been incorporated in Louisiana, and they have filed for 501.c.3 status as a non-profit organization. Both “Kids Wanna Help” and “Lemonade Brigade” have been trademarked.

The workshop is not cheap — the fee is $100; however, it includes everything a young entrepreneur needs to know, a T-shirt, hat, apron, cups, straws, a yellow tablecloth and banner with logo for each lemonade stand.

They also get “Lemonade Brigade” T-shirts and caps to sell at the stands for $15 each. The T-shirts are compressed into the shape of a lemon.

In addition, on Sept. 5 there will be an awards party for the participants that will include prizes for the stand that made the most money, most creative marketing, most lemonade stands and the team who earned the most in one day.

Some scholarships have been provided for those who can not afford the workshop fee.

For more information, call the Lemonade Brigade Hotline at 875-0407.