Junior lemon squeezers will be setting up their businesses a little differently this year due to COVID-19.
On Sunday, the seventh annual Lemonade Stand Day fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital will take place – but with fewer stands.
Monita Chapman, owner of Simply Supper and chair of Lemonade Stand Day, said there will be just under 300 stands this year, compared to last year when the event topped 500 stands.
Some 13 of those stands will be in St. Albert, compared to the 36 participants the city saw last year.
Chapman said although there will be fewer participants, the event is still important to host during this pandemic, to help provide the young entrepreneurs with a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.
While the children are serving up lemonade to raise money for the Stollery, Champan said the money was less important than offering participants a chance to continue with the annual event.
“That's what we were looking to do this year – create something normal for the kids to do, something they've always done every summer. And to just keep it going. So truly, we just wanted the kids to have fun this year,” Chapman said.
Chapman said the lemonade stand entrepreneurs are encouraged to invite people in their lemon-bubble to visit the stand.
“We're just kind of keeping it within (the children's) own communities ... and just invite friends and family that they may already be cohorting with,” Chapman said.
The chair said if residents notice a lemonade stand in their community, they shouldn’t be worried about approaching and buying a cup of lemonade. Sellers have been equipped with COVID-19 safety tools and instructions, and Chapman encourages visitors to follow physical distancing rules.
“If you do see a stand, feel free to stop. We just suggest wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer.”
And for anyone who wants to support the kids but doesn’t want to leave their own bubble, they can visit the event's website to make a donation to a local stand.
Some junior lemon squeezers are finding creative ways to raise money while staying socially distant by hosting their own virtual lemonade stands.
“They're hosting a lemonade stand, but they're not actually having people come visit them. We have one girl here in Edmonton and she's doing a virtual stand, but instead of selling lemonade, she'll come to chalk art on your driveway,” Chapman said.
Some are hosting a draw for prizes, while others are doing lemonade deliveries.
The money raised this year will go toward funding an art therapist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
For more information, to find a local stand or to donate visit lemonadeyeg.ca.
