Local girl wins National Lemonade Day commercial contest

Seven-year-old entrepreneur Morgan Rodriguez of Baton Rouge has won a national contest for a commercial promoting her lemonade stand as part of National Lemonade Day. The contest was open to Lemonade Day participants in 38 cities across the country. Rodriguez’s commercial promotes her upcoming lemonade stand at the LSU lakes, which will be open on Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wampold Park. Rodriguez will be selling lemonade as well as water, and she’s also planning to give away dog treats to customers who stop by with four-legged friends. Lemonade Day teaches kids about operating a business and handling proceeds from it; organizers encourage participants to spend a third of their earnings, save a third and donate a third. Rodriguez says she hopes to use a third of her proceeds to buy a puppy, and plans to donate a third to Texas tornado relief efforts and a local animal shelter. Check out her winning commercial here. Youths of all ages can still sign up to participate in this year’s Lemonade Day. Those who do so get a free backpack holding an entrepreneur workbook and other materials to guide them through the process of developing their lemonade stand. Get more details and register online here. Backpacks can be picked up at any Raising Cane’s restaurant.