Kids are some of the best lemonade stand organizers around. Above, Campbell, Chase and Teagan enjoy the day at their front yard lemonade stand.
by Jeff Baxter, ALSF Community Engagement Manager
The start of our lemonade stand is fast approaching. My girls are running around the house in anticipation of our front yard lemonade stand. My wife and I are gathering the supplies and setting up the stand.
Gone are the days of mixing up one small pitcher of lemonade. We’ve now graduated to bulk containers of lemonade mix and 8-gallon coolers. We
know this year our lemonade stand will attract a crowd!
By the late afternoon, our donation container is filled to the brim and our coolers are empty. Friends from far away who held simultaneous lemonade stands are texting us about their success. And the best part: we’ve spent a day together enjoying the generosity of people engaged in a common fight to end childhood cancer.
Want to know the secret? We leveraged our personal network using these six tips:
- Connect your family and friends in one group email or Facebook group! This circle creates the foundation to build on.
- Share your stand on your social media channels. This may sound obvious—but remember to share and share often!
- Capitalize on your own known influencers—whether a well-connected parent at school or a friend in your community. Ask your connected pals to help you expand the reach.
- Provide your network with all of the promotional materials they need to share. If you make it easy for them, they can share quickly and easily.
- Make it personal. Whether you are inspired by a loved one who has fought childhood cancer or you are simply inspired by the story of Alex Scott’s legacy of giving back, share stories about why hosting a lemonade stand is important to you.
- Ask far away friends and family to hold satellite lemonade stands in their local community. By holding stands together, you grow your impact and you raise awareness everywhere!
Alex's Lemonade Days is held June 3-June 11, 2017. Pick a date that week and host a stand! Sign up here (it's easy!) Thank you for joining us to find cures, one cup at a time!
Jeff Baxter has been working in event management, especially in nonprofit, community events for the last decade. At ALSF, Jeff manages the community engagement team which focuses on fundraising activities and events planned by the awesome community that supports the Foundation. Together with his wife and two daughters, Jeff is also an avid lemonade stand host
—and has hosted stands in his front yard, as well as in Orlando and Boston.
