Growth Association promoting Small Business Saturday

The RiverBend Growth Association is partnering with area small businesses to promote Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25.

The Growth Association will be having a Small Business Saturday Raffle of $50. The winner can choose between a gift card or the opportunity to donate that money to a local charity of their choice.

Small Business Saturday was launched in 2010 as an effort to support local places that make our communities strong. Join the RiverBend Growth Association as we celebrate all the places that make our community great on Small Business Saturday.

For your chance to enter the Small Business Saturday Raffle pick up your Passport at a designated small business, and make purchases at six River Bend area small businesses. Make sure those businesses either stamp or sign your passport after you make your purchase. Once you fill up your passport drop it back off at any designated small business for your chance to win.

The designated small businesses to pick up and drop off your passport are: Airport Plaza Bowl, Alton Sports Tap, Bluff City Grill, East Alton Ice Arena, Godfrey Meat Market, Grafton Oyster Bar, Grafton Winery & Brewhaus, Great Rivers Tap & Grill, hazel2blue, Highflyers Grille, Jeffrey’s Flowers by Design, Jeni J’s Gifts, Guest Houses, & IceHouse Winery, The Old Bakery Beer Company, Olive Oil Marketplace Alton, PopUtopia Gourmet Popcorn and Sweets, Rolling Hills Golf Course, Sherry’s Snacks, SmartStyle Hair Salon (Wood River, IL), St. Peters Hardware & True Value Rental, and WellCreek Pharmacy – Bethalto. (Jeni J’s will also be having a Holiday Sleigh pop-up shop at 301 W. Main St. in Grafton as a designated place to pick up and drop off passports.)

The raffle winner will be chosen on #GivingTuesday, Nov. 28.

Small Business Saturday is also the first day of the Hayner Public Library’s Library Card Appreciation Week. Some businesses in the Hayner Public Library District are offering special promotions from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2 as part of their Fifth Annual Library Card Drive. Show your library card at the businesses listed on their Facebook page, and if they are a small business have them sign or stamp your passport, too.

Those shopping on Small Business Saturday are urged to post and share their shopping experiences on the business’ Facebook page, use the hashtags #SmallBizSat or #ShopSmall, and tag the RiverBend Growth Association.

The RiverBend Growth Association is both the chamber of commerce and the economic development organization for the 11 communities known as the Riverbend.

— The Illinois Business Journal