The Best Lemonade Stands in America 2008

Identical twins Hunter and Gunnar conceived of their "LemonSharks Lemonade" stand for an end-of-the-year school project about running a business. Like any start-up, they began by writing a business plan and locating investors (their family agreed to fund the start-up costs!) and then worked to put their plan in action. Their shark-themed stand, which was designed to look like a beach shack, stayed open for most of the summer and since the boys are local residents of a beach town, they had plenty of summer vacationers who were frequent customers. In keeping with their shark theme, Hunter and Gunnar donated 20 percent of their nearly $1,000 in profits to their local museum for its shark exhibit.

Read Hunter and Gunnar's winning entry and a profile about them.

For twin brothers Jordan and Jeremy, the process of designing and building their lemonade stand was just as important as their success at selling lemonade. With the direction of their grandfather, who flew out to California to see the stand built, and the family's handyman, Jordan and Jeremy were able to put together quite an elaborate stand. Because they planned to donate the money from their lemonade sales to the Starlight Children's Foundation to purchase an entertainment center for young hospital patients, several local businesses provided the materials for the stand for free. The boys also set up a website for those who did not get to visit the stand. By summer's end, they had raised $2,731.07, and had plans to keep operating the stand until they hit their goal of $4,250.

Read Jordan and Jeremy's winning entry and a profile about them.

These three neighbors got together to build a lemonade stand for a cause close to their hearts -- they all have a sibling who has battled cancer. The stand was named "Eliza and Liz's Lemonade Stand" to honor their siblings and to let people know that they were raising money for childhood cancer. Posters that talked about Eliza and Liz's diagnosis and treatment were displayed next to the stand and added a personal touch to the cause. The stand was built out of PVC pipes and it was designed to be tall and wide to allow a lot of people to congregate in the area. The goal was to raise $1,000, but by the end of the weekend, Emily, Valerie, and Matthew had far exceeded it -- they raised $5,459 in total.

Read Emily, Valerie, and Matthew's winning entry and a profile about them.

Ethan and his surfer-themed lemonade stand have drawn quite a response in his hometown of Gilbert, Ariz. The design of the stand was inspired by a trip to the home improvement store with his dad, and is decked out with surfboard graphics, a hibiscus lamp, and even a thermometer to encourage customers to cool down from the Arizona heat with a glass of ice cold lemonade. After being named our first weekly winner, Ethan was interviewed by several local media outlets, including the local ABC affiliate.

Read Ethan's entry.

This lemonade stand was designed to be mobile. Using a wagon, a piece of plywood, and mom's tablecloth, Caleb and his neighborhood friends whipped up frozen lemonade with their hand ice crusher machine. They topped off their creation with an extra sprinkle of sugar!

Read Caleb's entry.

A seasoned entrepreneur, Kaylee opened her first lemonade stand when she was six years old, and has been operating it every summer for the past five years. In her hometown near Cape Cod, Kaylee has built up a regular customer base -- she opens for seven weekends each summer -- and like any smart business owner, she gradually expanded her offerings. In addition to selling lemonade, she offers T-shirts that she designed and has a yard sale with her gently used toys and books. At the end of every summer, Kaylee donates all her money to the Boston Children's Hospital; she has given $5,000 to the charity in total.

Read Kaylee's entry.

Emma was inspired by a trip to the Omaha Children's Hospital and decided to open her first lemonade stand to raise money for the patients there. Emma found an old Lego table that was just her size so she could be seen selling her lemonade. Her earnings after a couple of hours were $8.65, which Emma doubled with money from her "giving jar." She made a trip to the Children's Hospital to donate the money in person.

Read Emma's entry.

Running his "Bradley Point" lemonade stand is one of the highlights of the summer for 11-year-old Jack. The budding entrepreneur has been running a lemonade stand for the past four summers, following a proper business plan and purchasing his own supplies, according to his mom. Jack places signs along the road leading up to his lemonade stand, which alerts drivers to slow down for lemonade and his signature offering -- boiled peanuts. Jack makes an average of $100 a weekend, and always donates 10 percent of his profits to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Read Jack's entry.