Amanda Kennedy is $1,500 richer for shopping in downtown Peterborough over the holiday season.
Kennedy is the grand prize winner of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) annual Holiday Shopping Passport program, which ran from November 13 until January 10.
During the program, for ever $10 people spent at any of more than 140 participating downtown business, they received a stamp in their holiday shopping passport. When a passport was filled with 20 stamps (representing $200 in spending), the completed passport was entered into a draw for three $500 early bird prizes and a $1,500 grand prize.
Kennedy’s passport was drawn as the grand prize winner last Wednesday (January 10).
“I love shopping downtown because it turns a simple trip into a whole experience,” Kennedy says in a media release. “You can grab a drink or some food, visit a variety of shops, and you receive a way better customer service experience because local businesses are so passionate and knowledgeable about what they offer.”
That includes Needles in the Hay at 385 Water Street, where Kennedy completed the winning passport and won $1,500 in Boro gift cards, redeemable at participating downtown businesses including a variety of shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, cafes, and services.
“I plan on trying out some of the classes offered by Needles in the Hay with my winnings and also purchase a new set of skis,” Kennedy says.
Along with the grand prize winner, there were also three early bird winners of a $500 Boro gift card each (Tony Jeffery, Margaret C., and Jody Cunningham), with their winning passports drawn on Wednesdays during December.
According to the Peterborough DBIA, the Holiday Shopping Passport program is one of the most successful programs promoting the downtown. This year’s program generated over $2.3 million in spending, supporting locally owned businesses.
“Supporting local business is vital for our community well-being,” says Peterborough DBIA board chair Sacha Lai-Svirk. “When dollars are spent locally, they are often re-spent and continue to circulate up to three times more money back into our local economy as a result. The DBIA will continue to offer this program and many others, rewarding downtown patrons and championing the local businesses within our historic downtown district.”
