The results of Scott Jones’ experiment in junior entrepreneurship are in. The “Lemonade Day” event he helped bring to central Indiana May 2 raised $811,672 here via the sale of 545,207 glasses of lemonade.

Of that total, $266,637 was donated to charities chosen by participating kids.
 

Launched in Houston three years ago, the annual Lemonade Day aims to educate children from pre-kindergarten through high school about how to start, own and operate their own business. Jones, the co-founder of mobile search engine tool ChaCha, spearheaded efforts to set up 5,000 lemonade stands here.
 

Cub Scout Pack 134 won Lemonade Day’s best business title with $400 in profit. (Photo courtesy Lemonade Day Indianapolis)

For a $4 startup fee sponsored by their parents or guardians, the kids received bright yellow backpacks containing two workbooks: one for children, the other for adults. The books teach skills such as setting goals, business planning, finding an investor, site selection, advertising, building a stand, purchasing, making lemonade, setting up, running the business, accounting and giving back.

Ultimately, more than 7,400 Hoosier kids signed up for the event. Their stands had an average gross revenue of $109 thanks to 73 glasses of lemonade sold over an average 3.71 hours the stands were doing business.