By Steven Gordon, Lemonade Day National President

The U.S. and its allies celebrated the 100^th anniversary of Veterans Day on November 11, a date designated to commemorate the end of World War 1 which is also referred to as Remembrance Day in Canada and the Great Britain.  Thus, now is an appropriate time to recognize our active duty troops and veterans for their role in keeping us and our countries safe and secure.  Now is also an excellent time to recognize several U.S. military bases and surrounding communities for supporting our Lemonade Day national youth entrepreneurship program.

Lemonade Day has grown considerably in the Greater Killeen-Fort Hood area, located in central Texas between Austin and Waco.  Fort Hood is an installation of the U.S. Army that played a major role in the early 1940s during World War II. Currently, the base population of Fort Hood is about 217,000, which includes officers, enlisted soldiers, family members, veterans and employees.  The population of nearby Killeen is 145,482. Military families also reside in nearby Copperas Cove, with a population of 32,706, and Harker Heights, with a population of 31,075 and. (Population information is based on 2017 statistical data.)

First National Bank Texas and Fort Hood National Bank brought Lemonade Day to the Greater Killeen-Fort Hood area in the spring of 2010. While attending a youth development conference in Houston the prior year, Amanda Sequeira, an officer of the bank, became intrigued by what was to her a unique program that introduced children to money management and life skills through experiential learning.  Amanda is the founder of Lemonade Day Fort Hood Area and serves as the City Director. She was also recently elected to the Lemonade Day National Board of Directors. Next year, 2019, will mark the tenth anniversary of the program’s success in the Fort Hood area! 

Within a few years of offering Lemonade Day in the Greater Killeen-Fort Hood area, Amanda met Nieomi King with Fort Hood Family Housing LP. Their conversations about Lemonade Day led to connecting with Lend Lease U.S. Community Fund, which was instrumental in helping Lemonade Day’s national leaders to expand the program to other U.S. military bases.   Lemonade Day Fort Hood Area has become a popular annual, community-wide event that inspires creativity and ensures lasting lessons, as well as lasting memories!

Amanda Sequeira with the 2018 National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year, Briana Liles

Giving Credit Where It’s Due

“Nieomi took Lemonade Day on Fort Hood to the next level! Lemonade Day had always been available to Fort Hood families; however, Nieomi helped the program flourish on post by making valuable connections with Fort Hood’s III Corps leadership. We are proud to highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of children of military families in our community,” Amanda commented.

Support from Lemonade Day Fort Hood Area, Fort Hood Family Housing LP, Fort Hood National Bank, Fort Hood leaders, veterans, business leaders, non-profit organizations, volunteers, media representatives, and countless others has been tremendous and, yes, amazing! Approximately 21,000 kids have registered to participate in Lemonade Day in the Fort Hood Area since 2010. That is a big number!

I am extremely grateful to Amanda for her enthusiasm and leadership. I am also extremely grateful to Nieomi for her role in expanding Lemonade Day to several military bases in recent years. Lemonade Day recognized Nieomi during our Lemonade Day National City Directors conference in September for her dedication to both Lemonade Day and our active duty U.S. military, veterans, their children, and grandchildren.

Well-deserved shout outs go to Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona; Fort Campbell Army Base in Kentucky; Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico; and IPC Schofield Barracks/Fort Shafter Army Base in Hawaii, and Shriever Air Force Base and Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado for hosting Lemonade Day programs through the newly formed Military Lemonade Day, which is now in its third year.

Please follow these links to several news and feature articles about Lemonade Day in some of these military-centric communities:

http://kdhnews.com/fort_hood_herald/across_the_fort/fort-hood-hosts-lemonade-day-ribbon-cutting-ceremony/article_645f0482-52fb-11e8-b8ce-3f839eb95a8c.html

http://fortcampbellcourier.com/lifestyles/article_f6a857b4-8e87-11e7-937f-537c95f2916b.html

http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/leisure/fort-hood-family-wins-lemonade-competition/article_479aea42-4e22-11e8-af85-577d6b8e5b56.html

City Directors at 2018 City Directors Conference, Nieomi King - 2nd From Right

Expanding Lemonade Day to More Military Installations

Lemonade Day has the potential to expand to many more military installations. The U.S. maintains more than 800 military bases all over the world.

Through Military Lemonade Day, privatized military housing initiative partners have proven to be the ideal catalyst for bringing the Lemonade Day program to military children. Some have recognized the tremendous value it adds to the ever-changing lives of military children and have incorporated it into their Connected Communities initiative.  Military Lemonade Day has found a home within the military installations as part of the economic sustainability component of their resident programming.  Partnering with organizations on military installations has proven to be a key component in obtaining proper approvals as well as buy in and involvement from the community.  Participating in Lemonade Day is one of the few experiences children will be able to take with them as they travel from one duty station to another with the military.

For more information on Lemonade Day, please visit www.lemonadeday.org.