Photo By Janecze Wright | Killeen Mayor Pro Tem Riakos Adams accepts a “Perfectly Preppy” lemonade from the...... read more read more
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KILLEEN, Texas — Lemonade Day is all about creativity, entrepreneurship and, of course, great-tasting lemonade.
Young entrepreneurs set up seven lemonade stands Saturday for the Best Tasting Lemonade Contest at the former Clifton Park Elementary School, having submitted written entries explaining why their lemonade is the best and should be featured in the contest to earn a coveted spot.
Each participant provided samples of their custom lemonade recipes for a panel of judges to try, with awards for best overall, most unique and best presentation up for grabs.
The competition is part of a series of activities to help prepare youngsters to open their own lemonade stands on Lemonade Day.
Focused on promoting entrepreneurship and teaching financial literacy to youth, pre-K through high school, Lemonade Day has become a cherished annual event many look forward to each year.
“It really teaches real-world math to these kids,” Ally Torres Olszynzki, city director, Lemonade Day Fort Hood Area, explained. “They get to actually be entrepreneurs and have their own business at the end of it, they don’t just learn it through the classroom. They come to our events, and at the end of it, get to make real money from Lemonade Day.”
“It’s our 16th time doing this, there’s some seasoned lemonade stands here,” Torres Olszynzki added. “So, it’s really great to see them come out. I’ve taken a peek at the judging cards, and it looks like it’s going to be a really close competition, and they’re all so amazing.”
Of the stands present, there were none more seasoned than Abby’s Lemonade Surprise, a stand named for Abigail “Abby” Smith, 7, who has participated in Lemonade Day the last four years.
Mom Paula Smith-McGee shared the event teaches more than just entrepreneurialism and financial literacy.
“(Abby’s) got dyslexia, so I’m happy that Lemonade Day can help children learn to read,” she said. “I really like it that she’s able to do (Lemonade Day) because she has trouble doing things in school, and this actually lets her know that she can do something, be creative in different ways that other kids are naturally, that don’t have the same problems and issues that she does.”
To wow the judges this year, Abby was creative with her recipe, which included her standard fresh lemon juice, lemon concentrate to boost the flavor, sugar and couple of surprise additions.
“She wanted blue to go with Stitch, so we added a little bit of the Berry Blue Kool-Aid mix to make it a blue color and we put some Starry in it to make it carbonated,” McGee said.
First time attendee Terilynn Smith, of Pey Pey’s Lemonade, named for her daughter Peyton Smith, 8, went with a more organic recipe, adding fresh mint and lavender to their lemonade.
“It’s a summer feel,” Terilynn expressed. “In the summer you want something refreshing, you know, after a long walk. Lavender is great. I love lemonade, but you want to have that fresh, like, that cool sensation, and that’s where the mint comes in. So, that’s why we feel it stands out, because it just reminds me of spring and summer.”
Terilynn added she is grateful for the financial literacy aspect of the program which allows her to teach her children financial lessons she wished she had learned in her youth.
“I just want to pour into my kids and just show them something that I wasn’t taught so that they can show their kids, and they will keep going from there,” she said.
“It’s just been so wonderful seeing all the kids and seeing how many people are so involved in this,” Terilynnn continued, “And it’s just something I just really didn’t know much about. And I just want to spread the word, like, get your kids involved. This is amazing.”
Killeen Mayor Riakos Adams, a judge for the competition, sampled an array of lemonade recipes and complimented the youth on their ingenuity.
“Ever since the 50s, kids that could come out and try to sell lemonade was like the beginning of the entrepreneurial spirit,” he explained. “This right here shows a different creativity, because I’ve tasted like six different ways to make lemonade; there’s no same one in there. And so, I think this gives them an opportunity to show that, hey, I got ideas. I just need some support. And I think whoever came up with this idea did a good thing.”
Fellow judge Copperas Cove Mayor Dan Yancy shared the same sentiments.
“I’ve been involved in doing this part, as far as taste testing for like, about four or five years. And every year, it amazes me, the entrepreneurial spirit of kids that come up with recipes and a business plan and everything about that,” Yancy said. “And it speaks well for these youth that are going to be taking care of us as we get older.”
After tasting offerings from each stand, the judges awarded the title of most unique to Abigail “Abby” Smith, of Abby’s Lemonade Surprise, for her bubbly berry-blue lemonade.
Best presentation was awarded to Sunshine Sippers, Ayva Mathews, 11, Divina Rodriguez, 10, Melissa Oliveira, 10, and Adalyn Spencer, 9, for their “Perfectly Preppy” and refreshingly fruity lemonade.
And Trenton Buckram, 10, of Trentman’s Lemonade, walked away with the title of best overall.
“It means that my lemonade was approved by the judges that had to make hard choices between other lemonades that were really good, and I was the best one,” Buckram said of his strawberry lemonade with homemade strawberry syrup that was a hit with judges and his peers.
“My lemonade is handcrafted with love because I love helping my community and seeing my community grow,” Buckram added.
The community can try these lemonades and many others during Lemonade Day May 2. Stands will be set up at the Main Exchange, at other locations on post and throughout the community.
Visit http://local.lemonadeday.org/fort-hood-area/stands-map for stand locations.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2026 08:23 |
| Story ID: | 564093 |
| Location: | KILLEEN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Youth vie for Best-Tasting title ahead of Lemonade Day, by Janecze Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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