US: Retailers squeeze fun into Summer

The award-winning Sunkist Take A Stand campaign is back this summer with an exciting twist! Starting now, Sunkist Growers is partnering with retailers across the country to encourage families to host fresh lemonade sales to raise money for charities close to their hearts. Creative in-store displays, free online tools and giveaways, new recipe booklets, national public relations, mobile marketing and new special edition stands headline the summer promotion.

Since 2004, the Sunkist Take A Stand program has inspired more than 65,000 kids to sign up to "take a stand" for charity. Open to budding philanthropists ages 7-12, the campaign has raised an estimated $3 million dollars for nonprofit organizations over the past nine years, one glass of fresh Sunkist lemonade at a time.

Online tools such as DIY instructions to make your own lemonade stand and posters are free for download at www.sunkist.com/takeastand. And because sometimes it’s just more fun to have an 'official' lemonade stand for selling, Sunkist is working with retailers to release new, limited edition 2012 stands that will spark creativity and help kids personalize their charitable giving efforts. The freshly redesigned stands are one-piece, easy to assemble and each comes with a festive lemonade-themed sticker sheet. Kids can color the stickers with markers, add extra drawings and messages that highlight their personal cause and ultimately create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, sure to grab the attention of the neighborhood.

For a limited time, stands will be featured in-store and available to consumers for a nominal shipping and handling fee. Families can order their stands by texting in or by scanning a unique QR code featured on the point of sale materials at participating retailers. To help families organize their lemonade sales, retailers can make the biggest impact by creating lemonade destinations in-store that include Sunkist 5 lb lemon bags (with an juicer inside) as part of a notable display containing all ingredients and related items (such as cups and pitchers) needed for making fresh lemonade.

According to Giving USA, an annual report on American philanthropy, for the second year in a row, charitable giving barely grew, rising by just 0.9 percent in 2011. In an effort to boost interest in fundraising for good causes, Sunkist will give away ten lemonade stands a week from July 18, 2012 through August 28, 2012. Fans can enter to win by visiting www.Facebook.com/Sunkist and submitting the charity they would like to support.

"Old fashioned fresh lemonade sales are fun and proven way to encourage philanthropy amongst kids," said Claire Smith, Director of Corporate Communications for Sunkist Growers. "Even during these tough economic times, we are continually inspired by families who reach out to us year-round looking for age-appropriate tools so their kids can give back and help others by selling fresh lemonade."

Research shows that consumers prefer lemonade made from scratch with fresh-squeezed lemons as it’s perceived as nutritious and better flavored. Sunkist offers recipe booklets featuring its signature Old-Fashioned lemonade recipe and multiple delicious variations including Orange Lemonade, Lemon-Limeade and Blueberry Lemon Spritzer. These thirst-quenching recipes and more are available at www.sunkist.com/takeastand/recipes.

For more information:
Claire Smith
Sunkist Growers
[email protected]
www.sunkist.com