Celebrating Our Young Entrepreneurs: Highlights from the 2024 Lemmy Awards
On August 24th, the Lomita Chamber of Commerce hosted a heartwarming celebration at Lomita Park—the 2024 Lemmy Awards! This annual event shines a spotlight on the incredible young entrepreneurs who participated in Lemonade Day, recognizing their creativity, hard work, and community spirit. These young entrepreneurs earned their awards by submitting their business results to the Chamber, where they reflected on their performance, showcased their creativity, and demonstrated their entrepreneurial growth.
Celebrating This Year’s Entrepreneurial Achievements
This year, 52 young entrepreneurs across 32 official lemonade stands showcased their business skills, with 22 stands reporting impressive results. Together, they generated $25,053, saved $7,629, and generously gave back $7,756 to their chosen nonprofits and charities—demonstrating the true spirit of Lemonade Day.
This year, the Chamber also unveiled its official Lemonade Day Lomita theme song, generously donated by Localista Media—adding a fresh, musical touch to the celebration. Watch it here!
The day was filled with smiles, laughter, and well-deserved accolades. Among the highlights were:
Best Lemonade Stand: Sweet Sisters Lemonade, Alexandra and Aubrie won this photo entry contest for their beautifully themed stand that charmed everyone with its vibrant colors and welcoming atmosphere.
Amazon Gift Card Drawing ($100) Winner: Wakanda Goldstarr Lemonade owner Blessed was the lucky winner of the Amazon gift card drawing, adding an extra bit of excitement to their day. This entrepreneur sold out of their signature blackberry, cherry and strawberry lemonade flavors and sold books to give back a portion of proceeds to the Friends of Lomita Library.
Video Contest Winner: Lucky Lemonade Co. captured the spirit of Lemonade Day through Pearl’s engaging and creative video that documented the entrepreneurial journey, going back to her first year participating in Lemonade Day just 3 years ago.
Highest Grossing Sales & Most Philanthropic: Love N Lemons By Maddy brought in an impressive $4,693 in revenue and donated over 67% of her profits to Community’s Child, demonstrating that success to this entrepreneur was about making a difference. This being Maddy’s second year as a Lemonade Day Alum, this stand was a beacon of generosity and dedication to the community.
Most Creative Recipe: The Lemon Ninjas Lucas, Zachary and Ezekiel wowed everyone with their unique lemonade flavors, including calamansi and dragon fruit, and POG (Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava) lemonade, leaving a lasting impression on their customers. They learned a lot as first-year Lemonade Day entrepreneurs about their strengths and where they have opportunities to grow.
Most Innovative: Cole’s D’Luxe Lemonade stood out with a Hawaiian-themed stand, fresh ingredients, and creative products, including 3D dragons and raffle tickets. This 3-year Lemonade Day alum and Cole’s ability to think outside the box and continually improve the business earned Cole this well-deserved recognition.
Most Creative Marketing: That Lemonade Kid Presents: Lemonade Go! Ethan continued his winning streak, taking home this award for the fourth year in a row by blending popular culture with business savvy to create an interactive and engaging experience through Pokemon Go. Ethan’s innovative approach not only drew in crowds but also left a lasting impression, solidifying a reputation as a marketing powerhouse.
Mayor’s Award: Sweet Sisters Lemonade was recognized not only for their exceptional stand but also for their enthusiasm, making them a standout among their peers. Alexandra and Aubrie offered a delightful variety of lemonade flavors, including Mermaid Water and Unicorn Water. What stood out to earn the Mayor’s award was the enthusiasm they showed when they danced and sang a song about their lemonade stand during their microloan pitch at South Bay Credit Union.
Honorable Mention: June of Take A Stand was recognized for her creativity and heart, offering not just lemonade with her team but also her original poems. This stand wasn’t just about selling lemonade; it became a platform for artistic expression and meaningful engagement. By offering original poems for sale and letting customers choose which charity would benefit from their purchase, this entrepreneur showed how powerful it can be when we work together, keep things simple, and stay committed to making a difference.
Youth Entrepreneur of the Year: Pearl Hope of Lucky Lemonade Co. demonstrated remarkable growth and determination over the past three years, reflecting on strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, with a commitment to continuous improvement and meaningful community impact. A key to Pearl’s success has been balancing profit from sales with giving back. Rather than relying on one-time donations, Pearl has built a sustainable business that supports ongoing contributions to causes that resonate with her. Pearl has plans to expand her lemon-themed product line including skincare with a goal to reach major retailers, making her a true leader among her peers. This approach highlights true entrepreneurship.
In addition to the Lemmy Awards, all young entrepreneurs received certificates of recognition from the City Councilmembers of Lomita, the Lomita Chamber of Commerce, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, Senator Ben Allen, LAUSD School Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang. These certificates acknowledged their hard work, dedication, and contributions to our community, making the day even more special for our participants.
A special thank you goes out to our presenters and sponsors—City of Lomita Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Waronek (on behalf of Mayor Bill Uphoff), Lomita Chamber Board Chair Jennifer Olvera (Coastal Funeral Center/GHMP), Chair-Elect Tracy Maestro (CalWater), Board Member Jane Lau (Realtor), Erin Ennis (Skin Topic Skincare), Chris Chartier (Grocery Outlet)—and our special guest, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. Your support and participation were invaluable and truly added to the celebratory spirit of the day, making the event even more memorable.
The event concluded with a fun-filled scavenger hunt, where our young entrepreneurs and their families explored the park and won prizes. We captured some wonderful moments from the day, including the proud smiles of our winners as they accepted their awards.
It was a day of celebration, learning, and community—a perfect reflection of what Lemonade Day is all about. We are so proud of all our participants and look forward to seeing where their entrepreneurial journeys take them next!
Stay tuned for the 5th Annual Lemonade Day Lomita 2025— July 19, 2025!
Lemonade Day Lomita is a summer youth entrepreneur program brought to you by the Lomita Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Lomita, South Bay Credit Union and participating sponsors. It empowers young participants to step into the shoes of a business owner by guiding them through the entire process—from securing health permits and business licenses, obtaining microloans, and crafting special lemonade recipes to marketing their stands and managing finances. With the support of their families and the community, these young entrepreneurs showcase their hard work, creativity, and business acumen, all while learning invaluable life skills.
For more information, contact the Lomita Chamber of Commerce if you’d like to participate next year: https://lemonadeday.org/lomita/contact.
Special thank you to Chamber Ambassador Bonnie Orona (Adam Chiropractic & Wellness Center) for photos.
