Lemonade Day stands going into business Saturday around Louisiana

theneworleansadvocate.com

More than 20,000 youth in the state are expected to participate in the sixth annual Lemonade Day, designed to teach entrepreneurship and character development among Louisiana’s youth ages 4 to 18.

Young entrepreneurs were provided with a free backpack, which contained detailed materials to help them establish their lemonade stand. They are advised to spend a little, save a little and share a little by donating a portion of their sales to a local charity.

Gov. John Bel Edwards proclaimed Saturday as National Lemonade Day in the state.



Smiley: Taking care of readers

theneworleansadvocate.com

Jennifer Jette, of New Orleans, “an avid reader of The Advocate,” was trying to get a paper from the box in front of the CC’s Coffee House on Maple Street when she dropped a coin and it rolled under the box:

“I tilted the box, retrieved the coin and completed paying the machine. Tilting the box must’ve set it askew, because once all 75 cents was in, it wouldn’t open!



When life gives you Lemonade Day …

theneworleansadvocate.com

Volunteers have started loading backpacks bound for more than 20,000 young entrepreneurs expected to participate in the sixth annual Lemonade Day Louisiana on April 30.

Among those kicking off this year’s Lemonade Day activities Thursday in Baton Rouge at the LSU E. J. Ourso College Business Education Complex were John Georges, CEO of Georges Enterprises and owner of The Advocate, and Todd Graves, founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers in Baton Rouge.

Other participants Thursday were Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, Lemonade Day Louisiana Baton Rouge City Champion Chris Ferrari and Lafayette City Champion Richard Zuschlag.

More than 75,000 children in Louisiana have participated in Lemonade Day’s program since 2010.



Dozen entrepreneurs inducted into NOLA 100

theneworleansadvocate.com

A dozen local entrepreneurs were recognized Wednesday as being among a group of 100 standout firms that are helping drive the city’s economy forward.

John Georges, CEO of Georges Enterprises and owner of The Advocate, served as the reception’s master of ceremonies. Georges’ other business interests include Imperial Trading, a century-old wholesale grocery company, and the historic Galatoire’s restaurant in the French Quarter.

Georges ticked off a list of major challenges Imperial has faced since its founding, including world wars and several devastating storms.

“Imagine what it was like 100 years ago,” he told a crowd of a few dozen at a reception. “Yet 100 years later, we’re still around, we’re vibrant, we’re a $1 billion company, and it’s largely because we’re headquartered right here in New Orleans.”



John Georges takes Grand Isle rodeo reins

theadvocate.com

“I’ve been coming to the rodeo for 25, maybe 30 years now, and Boysie Bollinger introduced me to it,” Georges said Wednesday after serving his first official presidential duty, a U.S. Coast Guard tour of the waters around Grand Isle, for the 87th IGITR, a number that makes it the oldest competitive fishing event in the country.

The Sand Dollar Marina weigh station on the east end of the island opens at 8 a.m. Thursday in anticipation of the prized first tarpon. Ditto for Friday and Saturday that will complete the three-day rodeo’s run. The weigh station will close at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 6 p.m. Saturday.In between will be crab races for youngsters, DJ’s music, live bands all three days, Georges’ presidential welcome Thursday evening that comes complete with Louisiana’s biggest shrimp boil and will conclude Saturday with the awards ceremony.

And with conditions improving daily from an earlier-in-the-week forecast of thunderstorms, wind and rough seas, the three-day forecast is for 10-knot westerly winds and 1-2 foot seas, a light chop on inside waters and building tides, there’ll be lots of fish to spur the activity around the weighstation and rodeo pavilion.