- By -Staff
- Business & Technology
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Local First Ithaca, which recently launched its 2008 holiday campaign in support of independent, locally owned businesses, announced the beginning of the "Local Lover Challenge", opening Friday November 28, the traditional opening of the holiday shopping season. The Local Lover Challenge is a holiday shopping game that creates incentive for consumers to spend their dollars in locally owned businesses this holiday season. Players receive stamps for shopping at participating businesses; with five different stamps, a player is eligible to win gift cards, valued at $250, $100, and $50, as well as gift certificates to participating businesses.
There is also an award for the business that best promotes the Local Lover Challenge, of a $400 donation to a charity of their choosing, in the spirit of giving back this holiday season.
"With a struggling economy," says Autumn Newell, one of the event organizers and business owner, "local businesses have to be creative in order to thrive. The Local Lover Challenge gives us an opportunity to highlight the uniqueness of our businesses this holiday season."
The four week long Local Lover Challenge is just one of the events planned during Local First Ithaca's Holiday Campaign. The campaign was launched November 15 with two showings of the film "Independent America" at Cinemapolis. Other planned events include "Shop Local Nights", in-store events hosted by the participating businesses, a proclamation by Mayor Carolyn Peterson during National Buy Local Week, the first week in December, and a ceremony awarding the winners of the Local Lover Challenge the last week in December. A calendar of events will be regularly updated at www.localfirstithaca.org beginning Nov. 24.
"The economic value of supporting local business," says Kelly Moreland, another coordinator of Local First Ithaca and business owner, "goes far beyond the feel-good aspect of keeping our communities unique and supporting our neighbors, though that's important. Far more of the money spent at local businesses stays in the community, which benefits us all."
Participating Businesses include 3 D Light, 15 Steps, American Crafts, Avanti, Autumn Leaves, Benjamin Peters, Bishop's Pro Home Center, Bookery I, Bookery II, The Cat's Pajamas, Cobbler's Cottage, Daria on Dryden, Diaspora Gallery, Evolution, Finger Lakes Running Co., Gimme! Coffee, Greenstar, Habitat of Ithaca, Handwork, The Holiday Store, Home Green Home, Homegrown, Homespun Boutique, House of Shalimar, Ithaca Grain and Pet Supply, Ithaca Guitar Works, Ithaca's Glass, Ithaca Paint and Decorating, The Jewelbox, Jillian's Drawers, The Kitschen Sink, Loose Threads, Lynda Myers Designs, Mama Goose, Mansour Jewelers, Morris' Too, No Radio Records, Now You're Cooking, Pastimes, Petrune, Quilters Corner, Red Feet Wine Market & Spirit Provisions, Silk Oak & Friends, Small World Music, Sparrow's Fine Wines, T-Shirt Expressions, Tuff Soul, Unique World, Volume Records
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