‘Tis the season – to be thankful for a community full of small businesses!

The Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce announces a brand new exciting promotion – just in time for Christmas! This holiday season, keep your shopping dollars local and “shop small”! When you spend your money locally, you grow local businesses, which grows your community.

From Saturday, November 25 until Sunday, December 31, every time you spend $10 or more at ANY local business, you can get your “Shopping Passport” marked. Every filled Passport will be entered for a chance to win Chamber Bucks – to finance even more local shopping!

Purchases at ANY Stevens County business will qualify! Simply buy your items, get your Passport marked and save your receipts. When your Shopping Passport is full, turn it into the Chamber office. There will be three winners of Chamber Bucks – one $50 prize and two $25 prizes.

This promotion kicks off with Small Business Saturday, November 25. The event is defined by Wikipedia as “an American shopping holiday the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year”. It’s sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The first event took place November 27, 2010 and was sponsored by American Express. Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick-and-mortar businesses that are small and local.

So get your Christmas list out and start checking it twice – and don’t forget your Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce Passport – found on page 6 of this week’s Hermes! You can also visit the Chamber Office at 630 S. Main to pick one up.

Don’t forget to stop by the Chamber office Tuesday, November 28
to get your free shopping tote!