Each week, 10 local residents will be pleasantly surprised to receive gift certificates for local businesses, restaurants and retailers in their mailboxes. Each Monday, entries are drawn from newspaper and online submissions to the Shop Local campaign and it is easy to win! Shop Local, a new small business campaign developed by Osprey Observer staff and local retailers is an encouragement to residents to shop local and support the local small business community this holiday season. Local participating small businesses can be identified with flyers and window decals identifying them as local businesses. “This is a great campaign,” said Chick-fil-A Lake Brandon Village owner and Brandon Honorary Mayor Tammy Holmberg. “This is what living in a great community like Brandon is all about.” Holmberg joined 75 business owners and Osprey staff for a Brandon Chamber ribbon cutting to launch the new campaign. Holmberg made a special proclamation declaring: “Whereas, shopping locally keeps our community thriving and helps secure the longevity of our small businesses, I hereby proclaim, Thursday, October 30 as Shop Local Day and I urge all citizens to join me and shop locally in support of their fellow business owners.” Logging onto www.ospreyobserver.com and clicking on the Shop Local tab will give residents the Shop Local page where more than 40 local businesses have signed on to be a sponsor of the campaign. In addition, when residents enter to win the weekly drawing by entering online, they are also entering the name of the local small business where they shopped. “Each month, we will tally all entries,” said Osprey Observer Advertising Manager Shannon Carlton, “The local business with the most entries will become our Shop Local business of the month and will receive a plaque and a Shop Local profile of the month feature story in our newspaper.” Carlton can also be seen on the front page of the www.ospreyobserver.com website in a short video promoting the campaign. For more information on becoming a Shop Local participant, contact Carlton directly at shannon@ospreyobserver.com or call 924-4679.
