[StBernard] Christmas Cash Back

[Westley Annis]

Christmas Cash Back event Monday 5 to 7 p.m. at Civic Center

Residents should bring retail receipts from St. Bernard businesses to be
eligible for more than $1,000 in cash drawings

 

Today is the first annual Christmas Cash Back event in St. Bernard Parish.
Holiday shoppers should bring their retail receipts to the Fred Sigur Civic
Center Monday for the Economic Development Business Community Christmas.
Receipts will be accepted between 5 and 6 p.m. with cash drawings starting
at 6:30 p.m. 

 

Shoppers will be awarded a ticket for each $100 of retail expenditures made
at St. Bernard businesses since Nov. 21. Besides cash give-aways, several
local sponsoring vendors will set up booths to offer last minute Christmas
shopping opportunities. 

 

In response to national economic trends and local business crunches, St.
Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. and St. Bernard Economic
Development Director Rebecca Martin organized the event and issued a call
for a sustained and concerted local effort during this holiday buying
season.

 

Martin said local support to St. Bernard's business community is needed now
as much as any time since Hurricane Katrina. The general feedback in the
local business community is that the economic struggles of 2008 could be
tempered with a strong local buying pattern at end the year. 

 

Taffaro added that any time the local community gets behind an effort for
the local community something good usually happens: "Not to mention the
obvious sales tax revenues being needed for parish government, but an end of
the year push could certainly keep some of our small business owners
afloat".

 

Taffaro emphasized that shopping in St. Bernard may take a little more
creativity and may mean more practical type gifts, but believes that most
people could find what they are looking for. He also wishes to remind people
that there is a safety factor to shopping in St. Bernard that is hard to
find in other shopping malls.

 

Taffaro sponsored this event with a $1,000 donation as an incentive to
keeping locals shopping in St. Bernard. He put out a call to all local
businesses to contribute to a money back program for holiday shopping, and
several have contributed cash and gift cards to add the event.

 

All shoppers will be able to keep their receipts after using them to get
their tickets. The amount of the cash rewards will depend on the level of
participation, and donations from businesses are still being made. All
receipts for retail spending, including gift card receipts, will be valid
for the raffle. Although the sponsors are critical to the event, shoppers
may bring retail receipts from any St. Bernard business.

 

The following businesses are sponsoring the event, and most will have booths
to sell their products Monday: 

 

*	Todd's Technology, 3001 Paris Road, Chalmette.
*	Bridget's Second Time Around Thrift Store, 7412 W. Judge Perez
Drive, Arabi.
*	In the Game Athletics, 700 West Judge Perez Drive, Suite 102
Chalmette.
*	Olive Branch Emporium Café & Gifts, 600 East Judge Perez Drive,
Chalmette.
*	Words of Wisdom, 7451 West St. Bernard Highway, Arabi.
*	Quick Wok Chinese Restaurant, 9212 West Judge Perez Drive, Suite A,
Chalmette.
*	Alex's Chevron 7415 West Judge Perez Drive, Arabi.
*	Ponstein's, 3523 Paris Road, Chalmette.
*	Rocky & Carlo Restaurant & Bar, 613 West St. Bernard Highway,
Chalmette.
*	Main's Chalmette Market, 501 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette.

 

Any businesses that still want to participate can bring a check with a note
that it is for the Christmas Cash Back program to St. Bernard Economic
Development Foundation, 8201 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043 or call
278-4227 or 874-0980 for more information.

 

###