Crayons to Push ‘Pink Lemonade Brigade’

Brian Quinton

Promo

June 5, 2008
 

A fruit juice drink maker plans to subsidize 1,000 young entrepreneurs around the nation with lemonade stands and product for a day later this month, enabling them to raise money to support the charity of their choice.

Crayons All Natural Beverage Co. will give out free modular lemonade stands to the first 1,000 kids who register at www.drinkcrayons.com/pinklemonadebrigade/ by June 8. Crayons will also supply the registrants with 120 cans of its Tickled Pink Lemonade and with materials to customize the stands to reflect the charities they will support.

The stands will go up on June 21, and for that day, all proceeds will benefit a charity chosen by the child: anything from pet rescue to juvenile diabetes research. In addition to raising funds, “Pink Lemonade Brigade” sellers can also win one of 10 Crayon-branded E100 Razor electric scooters. Contest judges will choose the stands with the most creative charity-themed decorating ideas.

“We are excited to debut the ‘Pink Lemonade Brigade’ as a creative medium to empower children and support art, charities and healthy living,” Crayons CEO Ron Lloyd said in a statement.

Crayons’ juice drinks are lower in sugar and calories than many other products in the category. In March, the company launched the first line of all-natural sports drinks aimed at kids and made without high-fructose corn syrup or dyes.

According to the company, the idea for the “Pink Lemonade Brigade” came from Lloyd’s 7-year-old son, Connor. But volunteers in the “Alex’s Lemonade Stand” promotion have been raising money to combat pediatric cancer since the first stand was opened by 4-year-old cancer patient Alexandra Scott in 2000.

Crayons All Natural Beverage was launched in 2004. The company’s drinks are now available in 3,000 grocery stores nationwide, including Kroger, Sprout’s and Whole Foods Markets.