On October 10, the Saint Joseph’s University student chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) gave their Marketer of the Year award to Liz and Jay Scott, the executive directors of the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The students wished to recognize the Scotts for their successes in marketing their foundation, which raises money to support pediatric cancer research. The AMA’s Marketer of the Year award often goes to a for-profit company, but Alex’s Lemonade Stand is a nonprofit.
The Scott’s daughter Alexandra (“Alex” for short) started a lemonade stand in 2000 to try to raise money to find new and better treatments and cures for cancer. She had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma a few days before her first birthday. Her lemonade stand was such a success that her family turned it into an annual tradition. When Alex died of cancer in 2004, her parents continued her legacy with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The foundation that started with a single lemonade stand became an organization with a team of 100,000 volunteers that provides substantial grants for cancer research.
The Saint Joseph AMA was particularly impressed with the organization’s website. The club’s president thought it provided potential volunteers with an interactive platform to learn more about the organization and encouraged them to get involved with Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
The award ceremony for the Scotts was part of the Saint Joseph University’s Marketing Week, which was hosted by their chapter of the American Marketing Association. The week also featured presentations from various marketing professionals and company representatives about marketing in the pharmaceutical, food, and sports industries. The club hosts events throughout the year to provide students with opportunities for professional development, and the chance to learn more about marketing and gain marketing experience.