Every lemonade stand is special. Whether part of Lemonade Day or as a fun family activity, lemonade stands represent the pursuit of something bigger. Occasionally, however, a lemonade stand captures attention with news coverage, delicious products, or even a world record attempt.

Amazing Lemonade Stands

Great lemonade is only part of the process. Hard work, organization, and initiative are necessary to make a successful business. A few lemonade stands decided to push one step beyond to achieve something great and unique.

World Record Attempt

Students in the Birmingham Beverly Elementary School in Beverly Hills, Michigan decided to “make a stand against bullying.” In this instance, they decided to make a lemonade stand. But they didn’t stop there. The students decided to build the world’s longest lemonade stand and have it confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Laboring in August heat, members of the Beverly Hills community came out in droves to support the building effort. A total of 350 sections were sold to donors to complete the stand. When they were done, their stand measured a whopping 1,399 feet and 11 inches. Perhaps even more amazing is the $36,000 the students raised for community projects.

BeeSweet Lemonade

Becoming a successful business owner can happen at any age. For most people, it happens after college or a few years in the work force. For one or two very special entrepreneurs, they discover their calling before leaving elementary school.

Austin, Texas native Mikaila Ulmer is definitely one of those entrepreneurs. Mikaila started participating in Lemonade Day at four years old and quickly found success. Her lemonade recipe, which she calls a “trade secret”, uses local honey and has attracted some big attention. By age ten, Mikaila launched Bee Sweet Lemonade, even getting her lemonade onto shelves at Whole Food stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. She soon found her company had grown too quickly.

Needing money for her booming business, Mikaila went on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank to request funding from successful entrepreneurs, including Mark Cuban and Barbara Corchoran. Eventually, Daymond John agreed to invest $60,000 for a 25 percent stake in Mikaila’s company. Beyond growing sales, Mikaila is also focusing on activism by supporting initiatives that help bee populations.

Huge Sales to Help Her Family

In the face of tragedy, some people accomplish amazing things. Alyssa De La Sala, a fourth grade student in Tampa, Florida decided to take matters into her own hands when her family experienced a double dose of tragedy. In March 2013, her home was destroyed by a fire. The rebuilding process has been long and difficult for the De La Sala family. Originally expected to take eight months, contractors have yet to complete the home and money for materials and labor have run out.

Left in a difficult situation and facing potential foreclosure, Alyssa decided to raise some money herself with a lemonade stand. She wrote to radio stations with national distribution for free advertising and quickly raised $10,000 for her new home. The family is also in discussion with local contractors and businesses looking to donate labor or materials to complete the house.