Young Entrepreneurs Raise $500 for Zoo Boise

A Little Lemonade & a Lot of Generosity

We are often relatively quiet about our involvement in community projects and charitable giving. Supporting the organizations and people who make the Treasure Valley such a special place to call home has always been important to us, but it isn't something we do for recognition.

Every once in a while, though, a story comes along that feels worth sharing. This one involves a lemonade stand & some very enthusiastic young entrepreneurs who raised $500 for a donation to Zoo Boise.

It started with LMNT and an interesting idea about lemonade stands. When the company launched its Lemonade Salt flavor, it also created 1,000 fully equipped lemonade stands to give to children across the country. LMNT saw the childhood lemonade stand as an early lesson in entrepreneurship: put in the work, talk to people, handle a little rejection, solve problems as they arise, and discover that your own effort can create an outcome. Each stand came equipped with a table, cups, Lemonade Salt, business cards, a profit-and-loss ledger, and an entrepreneur kit.

Families were invited to nominate young entrepreneurs by writing about why they would benefit from the experience. An essay was submitted on behalf of some of our littlest LBRE team members, and much to their excitement, they were selected to receive one.

Our Sunday Open House Tour presented the perfect opportunity to put their new business to work. While our agents welcomed visitors through a historic Boise home on Main Street, our young entrepreneurs set up shop outside, poured lemonade, greeted guests, collected donations, and got to experience what it was like to be part of the team for the day.

More than 120 people came through the open house that day, giving the lemonade crew a steady stream of customers. Most donations were exactly what you might expect at a lemonade stand: a few dollars here and there. Then, tucked among the bills, they discovered an anonymous $100 donation. As you might imagine, this was VERY exciting news at the lemonade stand.

By the end of the day, we had raised $500 to donate to Zoo Boise – something our tiny team members were incredibly excited about & proud of.

Zoo Boise is much more than a local attraction in Julia Davis Park. In 2007, it became the first zoo in the country to incorporate a conservation fee into admission. Today, $1 from every admission goes to the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund, along with proceeds from several of its animal experiences. Since the program began, Zoo Boise has generated more than $4.5 million for wildlife conservation, supporting projects that protect animals and habitats here in Idaho and around the world. The zoo is also accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, whose accreditation standards encompass animal care, conservation, education, and science. That impact reaches close to home, too. Zoo Boise contributed $100,000 toward restoring Table Rock following the 2016 fire and generated another $250,000 over the following five years for Boise Foothills preservation and restoration.

So, our young entrepreneurs' $500 is part of something larger and we love this story for them. Not just because they raised money selling lemonade, but because they learned that their own efforts can create an impact.

To everyone who stopped for a cup, offered encouragement, dropped a few dollars into the collection, or quietly slipped in that very memorable $100 bill, thank you. You gave our littlest team members a pretty wonderful day at work, and an even better lesson in generosity.

Lysi Bishop Real Estate is an expert in the Boise Real Estate market, offering unmatched expertise and unparalleled service to clients around the Treasure Valley. With over 30 years of in-depth knowledge and experience, Lysi Bishop inspires and leads her team of dedicated agents towards earning the title of the Best Boise Real Estate Team, year after year.

Our team specializes in luxury homes and five-star, concierge-style service in Boise and all surrounding areas, including neighborhoods like the North End, East End, Highlands, Collister, Harris Ranch, Warm Springs Mesa, East End Foothills, Boise Bench, SE Boise, Barber Valley, and West Bench, and extending into Eagle, Two Rivers, Hidden Springs, Meridian, Nampa, and Kuna.