SPRUCE PINE — The Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce will encourage shoppers to stay local during May through a special promotion.
As part of the promotion, which will run from May 1 through May 31, shoppers who visit participating local businesses can pick up a special card. Each purchase at a local business will earn shoppers a sticker.
Once patrons fill up a card with four stickers, cards can be dropped into a bowl at participating businesses.
At the end of the event, cards will be randomly drawn and winners will receive one of three prize packages.
“What we always try to do and what we’ve been focusing on a little extra over the past year is to remind everyone how important it is to support our local businesses,” said Chamber Executive Director Patti Jensen. “During COVID, people were at home and could have gotten in the habit of ordering online.”
The cards will also have a QR code on the front. Scanning it with a smartphone will direct shoppers to the event page and will give them more information and a list of participating businesses.
“It’s important that those of us who live here continue to support our businesses,” Jensen said. “They are depending on it. Our businesses have been so resilient over the past year. They’ve done everything they can to keep their businesses open so we need to do everything we can to support them.”
Businesses interested in participating can message the Chamber on Facebook, call 765-9033 or email Jensen at pjensen@mitchellcountychamber.org.
The deadline for businesses to sign up is Thursday, April 15.
Businesses interested in becoming members of the Chamber can also email Jensen, call the Chamber or visit the web.
The Chamber has served the area for more than 50 years and aims to connect member businesses to all areas of the region.
“Hopefully, this will be another way to drive more traffic into local businesses throughout the county,” Jensen said. “We want businesses to participate and there’s no cost to them to participate.
“Hopefully, it will remind people to shop local but also try out a new store or restaurant they haven’t been in before or haven’t been in for a while.”