Old Town Cape partners with SendAFriend to celebrate young entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs, ages 14 to 18, have the chance to receive a $250 grant provided by SendAFriend and have their own vendor booth space at Cape Riverfront Market on Sept. 10.

Old Town Cape and SendAFriend are partnering for the event to help three young entrepreneurs with business-related expenses on Youth Entrepreneurship Day. Selected applicants will also be promoted on Cape Riverfront Market social media.

SendAFriend was created by young entrepreneur and Jackson native Tyler Macke. Customers order care packages filled with stuffed animals that get sent to loved ones all over the world. The business has delivered more than 225,000 care packages since its start up in 2018.

The purpose of Youth Entrepreneurship Day is to encourage young people to start businesses and to provide the best conditions for those businesses to succeed. According to a Riverfront Market Vendor information packet for the event, "The purpose of the grant money provided by SendAFriend is to cover business-related costs. Examples of eligible business-related expenses are signage and marketing; vendor stall set up products like tablecloths, display racks, etc.; product manufacturing expenses; or supplies and equipment to create products. This is not an exhaustive list of eligible expenses."

Eligible applicants must be a Missouri or Illinois resident and apply no later than July 29. Applications will be available starting Friday on the Old Town Cape website, www.downtowncapegirardeau.com, under the events tab. Applicants wanting to sign up for Youth Entrepreneurship Day before Friday, may email Old Town Cape event coordinator Sydney Waters at sydneywaters@oldtowncape.org.

Applicants will be asked to respond to what the vision and inspiration is for their business, how the $250 will be spent, a list of products expected to be sold, photos of completed products and list of all the supplies the entrepreneur will need to create their product.

Cape Riverfront Market, 35 S. Spanish St., is held from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday and will continue through Oct. 29.