PHOTOS: Lemonade Day Kickoff at Hilltop National Bank

It's been said that when life gives you lemons, you're supposed to make lemonade. But luckily, if you can't do that yourself, you can rely on the boys and girls of Casper to provide you with all the lemonade you need on Casper's official 'Lemonade Day.'

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On Wednesday, Hilltop National Bank hosted the Lemonade Day Kickoff and it was certainly a sign of things to come, as more than 100 kiddos turned out to register, to pick up their instructions and, of course, to meet Lemmy the Lemon.

For the past 7 years, Lemonade Day has served as an opportunity for the community to rally behind its children; the future entrepreneurs of Casper.

"Lemonade Day, for those who don't know, is a program that's been here in Casper for years, promoting entrepreneurship among the young people of our communities," said Tom McCarthy, Vice President of Digital Strategy for Townsquare Media, one of the leading sponsors of Lemonade Day.

If your kiddo missed the kickoff event, they can still register for it now and may pick up official Lemonade Day backpacks at any Hilltop National Bank location. Each backpack contains the official guide to starting their own business, as well as coupons, special offers and prizes from Lemonade Day sponsors.

Once registered, kids are led through a 14-step learning process that includes budgeting, marketing, construction of their stand, research, developing an actual lemonade recipe, and tabulating the business results.

"Anybody that's been here on Lemonade Day knows that all you have to do is drive one block in any direction and you'll find a lemonade stand," McCarthy continued. "What you might not know is that each one of those kids, guided by our leader Lemmy, learns the lessons of starting their own business, what it takes to procure all of the supplies needed, the capitol - perhaps from investors (or parents) - to build the stands, to go out and get sponsorships. And then, hopefully if they do a really great job, make some money.

"It's with that spirit that we hope, along with Hilltop National Bank and Sutherlands, to continue to bring that mentality and that spirit to Casper, as these young people grow into young adults and start their businesses. It's something we're really proud of, and really excited to do."

This year's Lemonade Day is happening on Saturday, June 25, 2022. That's the day when these budding entrepreneurs will show off their stands and sell their little hearts out.

"Hilltop has been doing this for eight years now," said Tara Bigalke, the Client Relationship Officer with Hilltop National Bank. "And the big reason we do it is to teach the kids the financial literacy piece. We're teaching kids how to start a business and how to manage finances and it's really exciting to see the kids excited about running a lemonade stand."

Bigalke said the grownups involved in this project are typically just as excited as the kiddos are.

"We really talk it up to a lot of our customers, and friends, and all of our kids' friends and their parents; they all know about it," Bigalke said. "We really hype it up because it's a cool event for the kids and it's a great way for them to come together with their parents or grandparents or other friends and run their little business. Whether they make $20 or $200, it's exciting for them. It makes them feel good to do something on their own and figure out how to run a business on their own."

And that's exactly what they do.

So when life hands you lemons, give them to your kiddo and teach them how to run their own business. It's productive and profitable.

For more information on Lemonade Day, or to register your child, you can visit the official Lemonade Day website or their Facebook page.

Below are pictures from the Kickoff Event.