Black-owned businesses highlighted in holiday market

YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO GET THAT HOLIDAY SHOPPING DONE. WE’VE GOT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CHECK A FEW THINGS OFF YOUR LIST. KC GIFT IS HAVING A HOLIDAY RETAIL MARKET WHERE YOU CAN SHOP FROM LOCALLY OWNED BLACK BUSINESSES. THIS MORNING I’M JOINED BY CHARISSE HERINGTON OVER HERE, THE CEO OF KC GIFT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. ABSOLUTELY. GOOD MORNING. IF YOU CAN JUST TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KC GIFT. OH MY GOSH. WELL THIS IS WHERE I REALLY GET EXCITED. SO KANSAS CITY GIFT IS A BLACK LED NONPROFIT THAT FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE URBAN CORE OF KANSAS CITY. SO SPECIFICALLY, WE FUND ON THE EAST SIDE OF TROOST FROM NINTH STREET TO BANNISTER ROAD, TROOST OVER TO HARDISTY, GRANDVIEW AND RAYTOWN. BUT AS AN EXCITING PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WE HAVE A FULL SERVICE BUSINESS CENTER ON 50TH AND PROSPECT, AND THAT IS WHERE WE’RE HOSTING TODAY, OUR BLACK BUSINESS HOLIDAY MARKET WITH OVER 35 VENDORS, FOOD TRUCKS, DJ’S, ALL SORTS OF FESTIVE ACTIVITIES SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN GET YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE. HOW COOL IS IT TO BRING ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES TOGETHER? THEY ALL HAVE GOALS. THEY’RE, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER. BUT IT’S A SHARED MISSION AS WELL, ISN’T IT? IT’S DEFINITELY A SHARED MISSION. WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT, ENERGY AND DOLLARS BEHIND PROMOTING THE EVENT SO THAT THOSE VENDORS CAN MAKE ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY CAN. WE TRACK THAT VERY CAREFULLY, AND THERE’S A LOT OF SUCCESS SHOWN, AND WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THOSE SMALL VENDING BUSINESSES THAT SOMETIMES DON’T GET THE SUPPORT THAT OTHER BUSINESSES GET. AND WE’RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF VIDEO OF THE EVENT LAST YEAR. RIGHT NOW, THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS CRITICAL FOR THESE SMALL BUSINESSES. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HIGHLIGHT THEM RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY TO HELP THEM THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR? PEOPLE CAN DISCOVER A LOT OF THINGS THEY MIGHT LOVE TODAY. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT’S CRUCIAL TO HIGHLIGHT THEM AND HELP TO SUPPORT THEM. ONE COOL THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE VENDING EVENT, THEY MEET VENDORS. THEY GET TO KNOW THEM AND THEIR PRODUCTS, AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO FOLLOW THEM AND TRACK THEM AND BECOME LIFELONG LONGTIME CUSTOMERS. EXACTLY. LIFELONG TIME CUSTOMERS. AND YOU GUYS JUST HAD A SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY EVENT, TOO? YES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE BUSINESSES, HOW GRATEFUL ARE THEY JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA HELP RIGHT NOW? I’LL SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU. LIKE I SAID, WE TRACK THAT DATA PRETTY CAREFULLY. ALMOST $8,000 WAS MADE BY OUR VENDORS ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. AND AGAIN, FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, BEING A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT REALLY HONING IN ON WHAT SMALL BUSINESSES NEED AND TRYING TO BE THAT THAT CONDUIT TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, THOSE BENEFITS. AND IT ISN’T JUST SHOPPING TODAY. THERE’S SOME FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. TALK ABOUT WHAT’S FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. IT MAKES ME WANT TO BE A KID AGAIN. ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PARTS OF THIS EVENT IS WE DO HAVE. WE OFFER FREE PICTURES WITH BLACK SANTA. SO BRING YOUR CHILDREN, BRING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, BRING YOURSELVES. I’M TAKING A PICTURE. THERE’S NO AGE RESTRICTIONS ON SANTA, NO AGE RESTRICTIONS. THOSE LINES GET PRETTY LONG, SO SHOW UP EARLY. THOSE PICTURES WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU IMMEDIATELY AFTER, AND IT REALLY JUST KIND OF BRINGS TOGETHER THE ENTIRE FEELING OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON. YOU GUYS EXPECTING A BIG CROWD TODAY? OH MY GOSH. I AM GOING TO LEAVE YOU AND HEAD OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE BUSY TODAY. IT SHOULD BE A REALLY, REALLY GREAT CROWD. OKAY, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I’M SURE IT’S GOING TO BE GREAT. WE ABSOLUTELY LOOK FORWARD TO IT. AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT KC GET HOLIDAY RETAIL MARKET FROM 11 TO 4 TODAY AT 5008 PROSPECT AVE AND KC, MO.