Lemonade stands— some kids do it for fun while others do it for money. But for Davis Hill, his reason is closer to the heart.

Hill, a fourth grade student at Dennis Earl Elementary, will be participating in his first Lemonade Day on Saturday. The proceeds from his lemonade stand will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of his Grandpa Sidney who passed away from cancer in 2009.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through when my papa passed away,” said Hill. “I hope that through my donation I will be able to find the cure for cancer and help millions of lives.”

Hill will run his lemonade stand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Paramount Court Senior Living, 3791 Crowell Rd. — and join hundreds of other young entrepreneurs across Turlock and the country for national Lemonade Day.

“I’ll be selling regular lemonade and strawberry made by yours truly,” said Hill. “I’ll also have chocolate chip cookies available.”

Since its 2007 start in Houston, Texas, hundreds of thousands of children have gone through the process of opening a Lemonade Day business. They create budgets, secure investors, select a site, and set goals.

“Lemonade Day teaches kids the basic management of money and it teaches them responsibility,” explained Kat Ferreira, assistant coordinator of Turlock’s Lemonade Day and project leader of United Cerebral Palsy.

Children are encouraged to write a business plan which calls for earning, saving, and sharing.

“I made a shirt in honor of my Papa Sid and I’ll be wearing it during the event,” said Hill. “I have some containers that are ready to use for the big day.”

The program comes with a printed instruction book, walking children and their parents through the entire process.

“I couldn’t have done this without the help of my Nana Trish,” said Hill. “She was the one who encouraged me to participate.”

The program was brought to Turlock by the Connections Family Center, a division of the United Cerebral Palsy of Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. Several corporate “Stands on the Map” sponsor donations will benefit the center, which promotes child development and offers senior services.

Those donations, and the hundreds of donations which will be made by individual stands, mean Lemonade Day is more than just about aiding young entrepreneurs. It’s also about supporting Turlock’s non-profits.

“Next year I plan to participate and donate my money to a skin cancer society,” said Hill. “Skin cancer has also affected my family and if there’s anything that I can do to help the cause, I will.”