MT. WASHINGTON, Ky. — A holiday shopping game in Mt. Washington is giving small businesses a major boost this weekend, offering residents the chance to win prizes — including a $500 grand prize — simply for visiting local shops.
Shoppers who stop at 10 participating stores can enter to win gift baskets, and those who visit 12 will be entered for the grand prize: a $500 gift card to ValuMarket, according to Jessica Thorton, the city’s director of economic and community development.
The initiative comes at a crucial time for many small businesses that rely heavily on holiday sales.
“It’s hard for small businesses because a lot of times their products are more expensive than Amazon’s, and also Amazon is at the click of your finger,” Thorton said.
One of the stores on the game card is The Modern Market, owned by Mt. Washington native Meghan Gregory. She stressed how important it is to shop local.
“You get to know people, their first names, their stories,” Gregory said.
Gregory said she lives just two minutes away and loves being part of the community she serves.
“I live 2 minutes away, I always say I can just walk to work all the time,” she said.
Owning her shop for just over a year has been “just a dream that came true.”
Keeping that dream alive depends on people choosing local over big-box retailers, especially on a weekend many business owners describe as make-or-break.
Another game-card stop, Mt. Washington Florist and Coffee Bar, offers holiday coffee flights alongside gifts. Thorton said shopping local keeps money circulating within Mount Washington, and Gregory agrees.
“I try to do donations to schools and different nonprofits around the area because I always try to support them because the community’s been supporting us this past year,” Gregory said.
Winners for all prizes will be drawn December 10.
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