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WHEELING - Businesses to present at the Show of Hands" competition next month have been announced.
The next Show of Hands event - sponsored by Wheeling Heritage - is set for 6 p.m. May 15 at the Wheeling Artisan Center. Each participant will have four minutes to pitch their products, services and business ideas to the community in hopes of taking home more than $4,000 for their business.
At the event, representatives of the following businesses will take the stage:
- Kevin Cuichta and Travis McBride, Big Retro Game Shop: Located in the Centre Market historic district, Big Retro Game Shop is a small video game shop that specializes in reselling older video games at reasonable prices. They also help bring together gamers from across the community by hosting tabletop gaming events on Saturdays, free of charge.
As the gaming industry as a whole is seeing an unprecedented growth in popularity, Cuichta and McBride strive to create opportunities for gamers of all ages to come together in a safe environment to have fun. Through Show of Hands, the duo hopes to secure funding that will allow them to add to their gaming library and invest in gaming tables to support their in-person gaming events.
- Autumn Dobbs, Butter Me Up Cookies: This newly-formed cookie business wants to win Show of Hands to support an inaugural Wheeling Cookie Crawl. Autumn Dobbs recently opened her specialty cookie business and can be found around town at places like The Public Market and Table 304.
Since Dobbs does not operate a traditional storefront, she is planning an event benefiting not just her business, but several brick-and-mortar shops too. Funding would support Wheeling’s inaugural Cookie Crawl, a city-wide event where participants visit landmarks, take selfies, then redeem them at local businesses for free cookies designed with West Virginia and Wheeling themes, promoting community engagement, supporting small businesses, and providing a fun experience for all ages.
- Ashley Sutton, Moonlight Intimate Apparel: Moonlight Intimate Apparel is a Centre Market retail shop dedicated to providing size-inclusive lingerie at affordable prices, ensuring that luxury and comfort are accessible to everybody. In addition to their modern collection, owner Ashley Sutton recently added a curated vintage collection to her shop that features beautifully-restored lingerie pieces that not only evoke nostalgia but also showcase the timeless influence of past trends on contemporary fashion. Sutton is seeking funding through Show of Hands to invest in restoration equipment so that she can continue to grow Moonlight's vintage collection.
- Sarah Morgan, The Public Market: Since 2019, The Public Market has operated as a year-round farmers market and natural food store that helps create economic opportunities for local farmers and producers and promotes local and healthy food access to its patrons.
The Public Market hopes to expand their offerings by adding a smoothie and juice bar to their kitchen. Winning Show of Hands would provide funding to purchase commercial blenders, juice extractors, and other kitchen equipment to offer this new service.
Celebrating 10 years of entrepreneurship, Show of Hands has awarded more than $133,000 to support small businesses and projects in Wheeling. In addition to program sponsors, attendees pay $5 at the door to vote on the project they feel is the most worthwhile. The presenter who receives the most votes will be awarded more than $4,000 from our Friends of Show of Hands, plus door donations, to put toward their project.
This program' corporate sponsor is Orrick, who donates $1,000 to each Show of Hands while our Friends of Show of Hands contributes $250 to each event. Friends of Show of Hands supporters include: Dave and Beth Weaver - Wheeling Volkswagen and Subaru; Dr. and Mrs. Dan Joseph, Joseph Orthodontics; Brian Joseph, Touchstone Research Laboratory; Fuzz & Barb LaRue; H Lawrence Jones and Sue Blevins; Kennen & Kennen Realtors; Warwood Armature; Rabbi Joshua Lief and Rebecca Lief; Will and Tracey Turani; Bridgeway Capital; FXB; Steve and Jackie Johnston; ThrIVe Wheeling and Play N Stay Pet Camp; and anonymous donors.