Shopping, eating and drinking local has never been so important
This week we celebrated Thanksgiving, the day that was declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The first record of a day of Thanksgiving was actually in 1789 under the leadership of President George Washington.
The fact that we have celebrated Thanksgiving since the beginning of our country demonstrates that gratitude is part of our collective national character.
Reflecting on what our nation and our ancestors were living through, both in 1789 as a fledgling new republic and in 1863 in the grips of a Civil War, brings today and the challenges of the last year and a half into perspective. It does not provide comfort — just perspective.
Gratitude begets generosity. We tend to want to share when we reflect on our own blessings. I have seen that generosity at work in our community in countless ways. Countless ways. Every day.
Shopping Small is a way to connect the gratitude to generosity, which truly multiplies over and over! Last year, in order to respect safety measures and to keep this important local tradition alive, the Chamber and Independence Bank adapted and innovated. We decided to make Shop Owensboro an entire week in order to cut down on overcrowded stores and, most importantly, to remind our community how important it is to shop local.
We also changed our kick-off location from the iconic lobby at Independence Bank to an outdoor drive-through at the Owensboro Convention Center. Most of our merchants created options of curbside pick-up, delivery, online shopping and shipping. So even those of us following the strictest protocol were still able to keep our money local.
Each of these adaptations were so successful, we have decided to keep them as part of the tradition.
Shop Owensboro will have a curbside bag pick-up at the Owensboro Convention Center starting at 9 a.m. this morning, Saturday, Nov. 27. Here is how it will work: Drive up to the front of the Owensboro Convention Center. Stay in your car, and our team of Independence Bank and Chamber staff will deliver your Shop Owensboro Bag to your car door. You don’t even need to get out of your vehicle!
Bingo cards, shopping maps and great discounts from participating merchants are in the bags. In fact, as I write this, I can see 500 bright-green bags all over the Chamber lobby. Some of the bags have surprise gift certificates. And the two winners of the Bingo card drawings will receive $250 Visa gift cards!
Small businesses put food on the table of the majority of our families in Greater Owensboro. They are the first people we ask for donations for our fundraisers, ads on our ballfields and sponsorships for our nonprofits. They are taxpayers. They are economic drivers. They are our neighbors. And they are also, by nature, the last people to ever ask for anything.
So, I am going to ask on their behalf.
Please shop small. Please support local restaurants and bars. Please understand that these businesses are what make Owensboro unique. They distinguish us from other communities. Now is the time we show them who we are and how much they mean to us. And we can do that by keeping our money where our heart is.
By Candance Castlen Brake President/CEO Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Messenger-Inquirer