As bureaucrats shut down children’s lemonade stands both in the U.S. and abroad, CountryTime Lemonade is taking a stand of its own.
The brand says it has set up a fund, called Legal-Ade, which will cover the costs of city permits, as well as all fines, for kids whose lemonade stand gets shut down by city officials this year.
And, in a publicity stunt worthy of applause, it’s capitalizing on social media to fund a future pool to cover costs in years to come, donating $1 for every retweet its Legal-Ade video receives, up to $500,000.
CountryTime says it will reimburse young budding entrepreneurs up to $300 if their stand is shut down or ticketed by city officials for not having the correct permits or licenses.
“Life doesn’t always give you lemons, but when it does, you should be able to make and share lemonade with the neighborhood without legal implications,” the company says on the Legal-Ade Website.
As with any legal venture, there is some fine print. If you’re over 14 and your lemonade stand gets shut down, you’re out of luck. And, for now, the program only runs through August 31, though re-tweets of the announcement will keep it funded—and CountryTime’s name—in the public eye. You’ll also have to be a U.S. resident.
On the upside, the fund is retroactive, so stands that were shut down last year are still eligible for reimbursement. Also, if permits have already been obtained for this year, the company will pay you back.
