MEEKER | On June 26, the annual Kids in Business Day is happening in the Mountain Valley Bank parking lot. This is a day where kids take their businesses to the next level and promote themselves.
They learn about the importance of money and how to save it. Mountain Valley Bank branch manager Katelin Cook, who runs the event every year, says the whole point of the event is to instill basic business skills into young kids, teaching them how to promote themselves, and how to give back to the community.
This is the fifth year of Kids in Business Day; some kids have been participating in the event all five years.
Incoming Barone Middle School seventh-grader Carson Cook has grown her own popular business known as Carson’s Sugar Shack. She originally only sold lemonade but has slowly developed into a full-blown business. She sells dirty sodas, lemonade and ice cream.
Katelin Cook says she enjoys running the event every year. “Seeing creative ideas, the ‘aha’ moments, and seeing financial income through the next generation,” Cook said when asked why she runs the event. She enjoys being able to teach kids about savings and knowing that she is teaching the future of our community.
The kids receive a book at the beginning and are able to fill it out over the course of the day, teaching them about the different opportunities they can have.
The 3 D’s Cotton Candy have also been doing the Kids in Business Day for several years and now have a thriving cotton candy business.
Attending the event is a part of the Tour de Meeker contest and can earn you points as well. The setup starts at 10:30 a.m. and selling is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. Afterward, there will be snacks and drinks in the back for kids who participated in the event. Help will always be there for any kids who need help in finishing the book given to them.
The money earned will be put into a savings account and the bank will match up to $25 of the money. As the kids grow and start to earn more money from a job that they have or if they continue to run their businesses, they will understand what is happening with their money and why it is important that they understand how to deal with their money.
Kids in Business Day is an event that helps everyone in the community as these kids are the next generation of our town; teaching them how to be wise with their money is only the first step in ensuring that they are prepared for what may come in the future.
By TINLIE STRATE
HT Intern
