A gift card donation campaign has raised more than $50,000 for businesses in Sturgis | Stock Photo
A gift card donation campaign has raised more than $50,000 for businesses in Sturgis | Stock Photo
Sturgis residents are stepping up to support local businesses through the Love Local $20$20 effort.
Tony Percival, Dan Root, Von Metzger and David Northrop created Love Local $20$20, which within a week raised $55,000 for businesses, the Sturgis Journal reported in late April.
The original idea was to get businesses and individuals to donate funds that would be used to purchase $20 gift cards from local businesses in the 49091 zip code, Sturgis Journal reported. Customers were also allowed to purchase a $20 gift card, submit their proof of purchase, and receive another $20 from the same business thanks to a matching donation. The original 1,370 gift cards were all accounted for in 48.5 hours.
The Love Local $20$20 campaign.
| Courtesy Photo
One local business, Willer's Shoes, opened on a Saturday for two hours so that customers could come in or call to purchase gift cards, Sturgis Journal reported. More than 100 gift cards were sold from their business.
“We’ve been here since 1934,” Elizabeth Denman of Willer's Shoes told the Sturgis Journal. “We’ve been through depressions, recessions but this is the most amazing thing we’ve witnessed.”
So far, 45 businesses in the 49091 zip code have benefitted from the effort, Sturgis Journal reported. The idea originally came from and was modeled on an effort by Greg Mericle, a Sturgis High School graduate living in Eau Clare, Wisconson.
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