LAFAYETTE, LA – Lemonade Day Louisiana has named Logan Watkins as this year's Entrepreneur of the Year.
Watkins and his brother Lucas participated in Lemonade Day and raised more than $2,000. Not only did Watkins raise money for his limo ride to prom, he shared a portion of his proceeds to local charity, CYT and DREAMS Foundation of Acadian.
Lemonade Day Louisiana Executive Director Jordan Piazza surprised Watkins with the award yesterday at 125 Londonderry Square in Lafayette.
Lemonade Day reps said Watkins, who has spina bifida, has always had the motivation and drive to become an entrepreneur. His catchy slogan "Please buy some lemonade, I need a limo for my Lady!" was a success on social media and turned Watkins into a celebrity with local media. Overall, he raised enough money for his prom, donated to charity, and also got offered a free limo and a free trolley for the night, they said.
Lemonade Day was brought to Louisiana in 2010 by entrepreneurs John Georges (CEO of Georges Enterprises) and Todd Graves (Founder, CEO, Fry Cook & Cashier of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers). Georges and Graves said they both received their first taste of business by operating their own lemonade stand as kids.
Lemonade Day reps said the foremost objective of the organization is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society – the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers, and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow.
Each child that registers receives a backpack with an Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches them the 15 lessons of Lemonade Day including creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community. Along the way, they acquire skills in goal-setting, problem-solving, and gain self-esteem critical for future success, reps said. They keep all the money they make and are encouraged to spend some, save some and share some.
