ON MAY 6, youth entrepreneurs will set up their lemonade stands throughout the community. First National Bank & Trust and the Iron Mountain-Kingsford Community Federal Credit Union has joined the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce as the major sponsors for the first Lemonade Day event in the area. From left, chamber Executive Director Suzanne Larson, Cole Grenier of FNB and Amanda Bartels of IMKCFCU display the workbooks for students and mentors that will be used for the program. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — There probably is no better first business for a young entrepreneur than a lemonade stand.

The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce, along with its sponsors, have partnered to bring Lemonade Day Dickinson to Iron Mountain on May 6.

Lemonade Day is a free, community-wide education program that aims to teach youth how to start, own and operate their own business: a lemonade stand.

Through the lessons taught by a mentor, teacher or parent, each child will set a goal, create business and advertising plan, set a budget, find an investor and location site and build the stand.

Young participants will then report their financial results back through the Lemonade Day workbook.

“With the profits from their lemonade stand, each child is also encouraged to ‘spend some, save some and share some,'” DACC Executive Director Suzanne Larson said. “This is another cool part about the program, as it teaches them philanthropy at a young age.”

The Lemonade Day curriculum is currently being taught at Iron Mountain School District by fourth-grade teachers Kaye Miziniak and Dale Powell and fifth-grade teachers Chad McCole and Kim Bouchard, along with Principal Andy Mendini and Superintendent Jerry Sardina.

The program isn’t limited to just those classes, Larson said. “Anyone wishing to participate is welcome; however, parents will then need to be the mentor and go through the lessons with the child,” she said.

She explained that this age group was selected as they are at a stage when they are eager to learn.

There is no limit to the number of lemonade stands and kids can do the business adventure with a buddy or a group of friends.

For the first year, the chamber kept the curriculum to just the Iron Mountain School District. “With my experience, I know large events like these can be tough in the beginning — it’s all the unknowns,” she said. “I wanted to go slow and get this first year under my belt before we tackle other area schools.”

Next year, Larson plans to expand to other surrounding schools. She also is brainstorming to add special activities to the day, including a best-tasting lemonade contest.

For the day, kids can make their own lemonade recipe. “This can include any flavor — whatever they want, strawberry, peach, whatever. This is part of the fun,” Larson said.

The chamber will select an Entrepreneur of the Year from this year’s participants.

All kids and mentors will receive a Lemonade Day T-shirt as well.

The national program was started in 2007 in Houston, Texas, by Michael Holthouse, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. To date, Lemonade Day has expanded to more than 90 communities across the country, with 1.5 million participants who earned $352.5 million.

Children who took part in the program have increased financial and business literacy, communication skills, problem-solving ability, school motivation and a sense of purpose and self-esteem, Larson said.

“Another fun fact noted, these kids are two times more likely to invent something that changes the world — all because of a lemonade stand,” Larson said. “It’s unbelievable what can be fostered from just planting that little seed. Sometimes that’s all that takes in a kid.”

The idea for Lemonade Day came while Larson was visiting Texas two years ago. “I stop and share ideas with other chambers of commerce when I travel to different cities,” she said.

When she heard about Lemonade Day, she thought it would be a perfect program for the local chamber.

“It takes a long time to build an entrepreneur and business owner — we want to start early,” she said.

The program took two years to get in place, as an event of this size requires a lot of help from the community, she explained.

The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce for now is the only organization in the Upper Peninsula to host this event.

The chamber is seeking businesses that will allow a lemonade stand to be set up in front of their building. They also are looking for mentors to sit with the kids on the day of the event.

They encourage individuals, as well as groups, to come out May 6 and purchase lemonade from the young entrepreneurs.

Community members will be able to go to the Lemonade Day Dickinson website before May 6 to locate stands on a map.

“The program is so good on so many different levels,” Larson said, adding, “Who doesn’t like to get behind kids?”

Local businesses that have teamed up to bring Lemonade Day to Dickinson County include two Main Squeeze sponsors, First National Bank & Trust and Iron Mountain-Kingsford Community Federal Credit Union; Fresh Squeeze sponsors Northern Interstate Bank, First Bank, Great North Bank and Nicolet Bank; and Lemmy Lemon sponsors Dickinson Area Community Foundation, 41 Lumber, Bay College, Radio Results Network, WZMQ TV19, Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance and U.P. State Credit Union.

Those who would like to sponsor a child or allow a lemonade stand at their place of business May 6 can contact Larson at the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce at 906-828-3389 or email her at slarson@dickinsonchamber.com.

For more information or to register for Lemonade Day Dickinson, go to lemonadeday.org/Dickinson-county-mi.