Peter D’Auria
From left: Emmalee Blilie, 8, Rowan Huff, 9, Paolo Zedda, 7, and Keeli Kammerer, 8, pour lemonade..

At first, business was slow. The visiting cruise ship did not generate the expected traffic, and passing cars, oblivious to the waves and shouts from the side of the road, did not slow down. The work was hot, sticky, and attracted wasps.

“You’re sort of just sitting around on your butts,” said lemonade stand co-manager Keeli Kammerer, 8 years old, who sat watching cars go by.

The lemonade stand, opened Saturday, June 29, was the product of six weeks of work, organized by the Haines Public Library and Haines Economic Development Corp. for National Lemonade Day. Haines children attended weekly meetings at the library, designed a business plan, built a lemonade stand, and learned about entrepreneurship.

“We’re introducing kids to the concept of business,” said Margaret Friedenauer, executive director of Haines Economic Development Corp.

Those six weeks were a time of wide-ranging discussion about the stand’s business model, said Jolanta Ryan, the library’s education and cultural coordinator. Kids brainstormed about different flavors of lemonade to sell, such as mint and rose petal, and about the design of the stand.

“It was a learning process for all of us,” Ryan said.

The stand got up and running with a $75 investment by Greg Schlachter, Haines Economic Development Corp. treasurer. The 10 percent interest paid on the loan would be donated to a charity chosen by the children: Haines Animal Rescue Kennel.

The investment opportunity also attracted some “angel investors,” who agreed to be reimbursed in lemonade. All in all, it was enough for a small stand, cardboard for signs, ice, homemade cookies, a tip jar, and two different kinds of lemonade (regular and fresh strawberry).

In the early afternoon, business picked up. A line formed. The crew poured lemonade for locals, tourists and themselves. Lemonade was spilled, ice was dropped, coins clattered in the tip jar, and the Tupperware of money filled up. “I think we’re gonna need a bigger box,” said Emmalee Blilie, 8.

By the end of the day, the stand had sold about 80 cups of lemonade. After the loan and donation to the animal

kennel, the stand turned a profit of $52.

Most of the young entrepreneurs planned to save their share of the profits. One hoped to go on a trip to Paris. Others expressed an interest in college.

The children concluded that the world of business was not too bad.

“I’m sort of having fun,” said Atlin Ryan, 9, between pouring cups of lemonade.

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