|Press release: Gray New Gloucester Development Corporation|
June 18, 2020 – Gray, Maine: In an effort to help local businesses get rolling after the state’s COVID-19 shelter in place order, the Gray New Gloucester Development Corporation (GNGDC) is sponsoring a Shop Local Passport campaign.
Shoppers are encouraged to grab a Shop Local Passport, visit at least 10 of the businesses participating in the campaign, and spend $25 at each of them. The passport provides a place to list the businesses shopped and have a store representative initial the purchase. Once a shopper spends $25 at each of 10 businesses, and returns their passport and the dated receipts from the qualifying purchases to the GNGDC, they will be entered into a drawing for a $500 cash prize.
The campaign is underway, passports are downloadable from the GNGDC website and, once back from the printer, hard copies will be distributed to the participating businesses. Participating businesses are also displaying a poster at their locations.
In addition to compliance with the state’s re-opening requirements, qualifying businesses must be locally owned and operated, have brick and mortar locations, not be part of a chain or franchise, and keep regular business hours. There are currently 22 businesses participating in the campaign, 21 of which signed on before the passports went to the printer. Should additional businesses that meet the criteria wish to join, their information will be added to the GNGDC website. The campaign continues through midnight on September 30th. Passports must be returned to the GNGDC at PO Box 843, Gray, ME 04039 by October 5, 2020. The winner will be notified by October 13th. Complete rules, an interactive map to the participating businesses and the downloadable passport are at http://gngdc.com/shop-local-passport. Shoppers should make sure to check the website periodically as businesses joining later will not be listed in the passport but will be listed on the website.
“We are so excited to offer this opportunity to both our local businesses and shoppers”, commented GNGDC President, Tracy Scheckel, “it’s a great way for folks to get acquainted with businesses they may be unfamiliar with, and to help businesses that were hurt by the shutdown.” She noted, “If just 200 people complete a passport, that’s a $50,000 boost for the GNG local economy, and still leaves some pretty good odds of winning the $500 prize.”
This is a new project for the GNGDC whose other initiatives include an annual business summit for local businesses; the Grow GNG New Business Challenge which awards a $10,000 cash prize to a new business that wins a Shark Tank type competition, and the GNG Magazine and semi-annual Farm to Table Beer pairing dinners both of which serve as fund-raisers to support the business challenge. Scheckel explained that the pandemic put the brakes on the spring and fall 2020 beer pairings as well as the Grow GNG Business challenge. The impact of losing three major GNGDC events to the pandemic helped inspire the Shop Local Passport
As of June 19th, the participating businesses are:
B & R Dairy Bar, Birchwood Brewing, China Gray, Chipman Farm Stand (Gray only), D’Ameri Acres, Fishermen’s Net, Focused Nutrition, Goody’s Pizzeria, Gray Chiropractic Center, Hodgman’s Frozen Custard, Jess ‘n Nic’s Pizzeria & Pub, Links Variety, Lizzie’s Raggs Primitives, LocalCentric, New Gloucester Village Store, Norumbega Cidery, NU Brewing, Pineland Farms Market, Simply Hair, Spring Meadows Golf Club, Thompson’s Orchard, and Yolked Food Truck.
About the GNGDC
The Gray – New Gloucester Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to encourage smart growth and development in Gray and New Gloucester; mentor and educate new and or young businesses in Gray and New Gloucester, and promote the commercial development in Gray and New Gloucester.
FMI: Tracy Schekel, 207-232-5557. tscheckel@gngdc.com
