Shop Local and Win Results

The Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of their Shop Local and Win contest today. $34,000 in cards turned in was on a par with last year's contest. Fewer of the participating stores appeared to push it this year though. I heard of several shoppers who had to ask stores to punch their cards and I know when I made purchases at some of the participating stores, they never offered to punch my card either. I know they were busy during the holidays but if you pay to participate in an event like this, one would think they would make sure to take advantage of it:

With each purchase at a participating Carbondale business, shoppers earned punches on a special program card. By filling the card with $250 in punches and turning in the completed card at the Chamber of Commerce office at 131 S. Illinois Ave., shoppers were eligible for weekly gift card drawings of $25 and for shopping sprees of $500, $250 and $100. Participants could fill as many cards as they wished.

The program this year was a great success. Punch cards representing nearly $35,000 were turned in for the drawings. The winners of the $25 weekly drawings were Kathryn Sime of Carbondale, Keith Thompson of Herrin, Sheliee Summers of Thompsonville and Gina Raney of Murphysboro. The $100 shopping spree winner was Mary Avery of Makanda. Betty Enrietto of Marion won the $250 shopping spree. Finally, the winner of our $500 dollar shopping spree was Anita Reagan of Murphysboro! Shopping spree winners were able to choose gift cards from participating 2015 Shop Local and Win businesses.