CRAWFORD COUNTY- Area residents are again encouraged to support local businesses as the holiday shopping season commences in the coming weeks.
Along with the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce, the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce is ready to promote small businesses across Crawford County, with a unique event throughout November.
Undoubtedly influenced by the legendary board game “Monopoly,” dozens of Chamber member businesses will soon sign up for a “property” on a Monopoly-like game board.
The businesses will then be provided gift cards to their locations in groups of different colored sections made up of five properties. This is called “Crawford-Opoly,” and the promotion begins Nov. 1, with the annual event running throughout the month, ending Nov. 30.
Beginning next Tuesday, large white envelopes with playing boards — like the manila ones used to secure legal documents — will be delivered to businesses throughout the county.
The event was quite popular with shoppers and area businesses the last two years, so the Chambers decided to make it an annual event.
“People tend to stick to their well-set daily routines, but if we incentivize them, maybe we can help them pick a different location to shop and eat one day,” Galion-Crestline Chamber Executive Director Miranda Jones said. “We have a lot of cool businesses in our towns, and it is important to bring visibility and awareness to our small business community.”
The Crawford-Opoly idea grew out of the national Small Business Saturday campaign sponsored by American Express and held the first weekend after Thanksgiving.
This is the third time it’s been in Crawford County, having begun during the COVID-19 pandemic to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic. The event gains momentum each year, with thousands of cards collected.
The chief sponsor of Crawford-Opoly 2022 is First Federal Bank of Ohio, with other sponsors, including Avita Health System, Cleaning by Carrie, Crossroads Original Designs, and Dzugan Real Estate Services.
For additional information, contact the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber at 419-468-7377 or the Bucyrus Area Chamber at 419-562- 4811. Information about the event and registration is also available on their websites: www.galion-crestlinechamber.org and www.bucyrusohio.com.
Community members can also contact Averee Richardson at [email protected] or the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber [email protected].
