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Shop Southern Illinois program is underway!


             Seventeen area Chambers of Commerce along with several regional businesses have teamed up this holiday season in an effort to encourage Southern Illinoisans to do a majority of their holiday shopping in the region, rather than traveling out of the area or shopping online.
            The effort, called “Shop Southern Illinois,” features a website, www.shopsouthernillinois.com, where residents can learn some of the reasons it is important for Southern Illinoisans to shop locally and where they may take an online pledge to do most of their own holiday shopping in the region. By making the pledge, participants are entered in weekly drawings to win prizes including:          There are also three grand prizes this year:             There is no cost for the program, and there will be no requirement that shoppers turn in receipts or punch-card programs, etc. Individuals are limited to winning one weekly prize drawing, but everyone making the online pledge and even those who win a weekly prize drawing will be eligible for any one of the three grand prize drawings. Winners will have two weeks after the drawing to claim their prize or the prize will be returned to the Shop Southern Illinois program to draw another winner. Winners will be notified via email and/or phone (depending on what is provided on their pledge form) and will be posted on Shop Southern Illinois’ social media outlets.
            The schedule for the drawings and the prizes will be (but are subject to change):              The website also features a special message from Southern Illinois University Men’s Basketball Coach Barry Hinson, who stresses the importance of shopping locally. Website design and services were donated by Carbondale-based Highline Ideas.
            “Each Chamber has come to the table with amazing ideas and an open mind. We want to educate consumers to shop and buy locally, realizing that a small shift in shopping trends – say 2-3% - can result in millions of dollars in new revenue for area businesses,” said Dalus Ben Avi, Marion Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. “To make this program a success, we need to do what Chambers do best – support local businesses this holiday season and encourage others to do the same! Local business owners are our neighbors and friends, and they deserve our support and our business not only this holiday season, but all year-round. Local businesses hire locally, spend their money locally, contribute to their communities and regions and offer everything we need or want this holiday season and every day of the year.”
            Shop Southern Illinois decals, provided by Wesley’s Custom Graphics and the Illinois Small Business Development Center, are available at participating Chambers of Commerce. Everyone is encouraged to contact their Chamber of Commerce to get a Shop Southern Illinois decal and proudly display it on their vehicle, at their business, or anywhere!
            “It is important for us to continue to invest in our region,” said Ashley Gott, Chairman of the Marion Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Commercial Loan Officer at Bank of Herrin in Marion. “There are so many great local businesses that can meet the needs of the consumers in the area for their upcoming holiday needs.  Let’s strive to keep the money here and not give it to our neighboring states so we can have a self-sustaining economy here in Southern Illinois.”
            Southern Illinois Chambers sponsoring the effort include Benton/West City, Carbondale, Carmi, Carterville, Chester, DuQuoin, Hamilton County, Herrin, Jefferson County, Marion, Metropolis, Murphysboro, Nashville, Pinckneyville, Saline County, Union County, and West Frankfort.