As successful local businesswomen, Megan Kalbach and Jacque Hess felt a pull to help others. The friends decided to use their experience and connections to create the Mountville Community Event. To be held Saturday, March 13, from noon to 6 p.m., the event will feature live music, food trucks, small businesses, crafters and more in Froelich Park, 350 W. Main St., Mountville.

"We both have had very successful careers in sales and marketing before the pandemic," Kalbach said. "We felt a calling after helping with the Mountville Carnival's food truck event last year. We felt God was calling us to help support local businesses. We saw small businesses struggling to get set up online this past year, struggling with figuring out how to do curbside pickup or to-go options. We had the knowledge, and so we just sat down and created MJ Small Business Squad."

This is the first event MJ Small Business Squad is hosting, and Kalbach said attendees can expect a fun afternoon. "We'll have more than 40 vendors and small businesses and lots of local churches with kids' activities," she stated. "Miss Agriculture USA will be there with kids' games and Cosplayers Care will be doing photos with superheroes and princesses." The Easter Bunny will be there, along with Mountville Fire Company, which will assist with parking by donation and hold a giveaway drawing. Sow and Sew mobile boutique will be on site, as will BTS Property Services, which will be bringing equipment for kids to explore. Additional participants include the Girl Scouts, Mountville Lions Club, Mountville Swim Team, Hempfield Education Association and Reality Church.

"We're doing this to support small businesses and give them the opportunity they need to get out there and work," Kalbach explained. "We're also inviting any nonprofits to come and provide a kids' activity."

Kalbach and Hess will be making a donation to the Mountville Fire Company for its assistance and to the park as a thank you for hosting the event.

"We just wanted to offer a chance for families to come out and have fun while supporting businesses in their community," Kalbach noted, adding that she and Hess hope to do more events like this one. "We're doing this because we have a heart for small businesses. ... We know this year has been hard for everyone, and we just want to help make it a little better."

For more information on the Mountville Community Event or to sign up as a vendor, readers may visit https://mjsquad.com and select "Community Event."