Residents dined at restaurants, did their shopping and hired professional services, while chronicling their experience of “doing their business in Monroe” through photos and comments in posts on the Monroe, CT Residents Facebook page as part of a grassroots campaign supporting local businesses.
Barbara Fahr, who started the #doyourbusinessinMonroe campaign, held weekly drawings for participants to win gift certificates from Monroe businesses.
Throughout the campaign, which ran from November through Jan. 1, generous local sponsors donated $5 per post to raise a total of $2,200 for the Monroe Food Pantry, allowing the nonprofit to stock its shelves to assist families struggling to make ends meet.
“I am shocked by the groundswell that occurred within the community once I put the hashtag idea out there,” Fahr said. “The business sponsors, which came forth to donate to the Food Pantry, and the resident participation in posting their ‘business,’ really are the reason this idea took off. I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who participated. It was awesome to see how much we all care about Monroe.”
Fahr, one of the Monroe, CT Residents page’s administrators, came up with the idea to keep attention on shopping local beyond Small Business Saturday.
The campaign/contest had 439 total entries, 232 unique people and 189 unique businesses over the six-week-period, according to Fahr.
Among the local businesses volunteering to sponsor posts, while donating money to the Monroe Food Pantry for each one, were Sippin Energy Products ($500), Intrinsic Health Source ($500), Jensen Tire & Automotive ($500), GlenRo Spirit Shoppe ($500), Union Savings Bank ($100) and the Victorinox Swiss Army Factory Store ($100).
The Top 10 businesses receiving posts were:
1). Lakeside Nutrition
2). Benedict’s Home & Garden
3). Cardsmart
4). The Last Drop
5). Seven Maples
6). Terra Cafe
7). Mason Jar
8). Republic Kitchen
9). Monroe Social
10). Sakana Sushi tied with Turning the Page
Top 10 entrants:
1). Lisa Pinto
2). Julee Lesko
3). Marsha Vetare
4). Dawn Veccherelli
5). Lilian Kus
6). Danielle Gratrix
7). Veronica Condon
8). Jennifer Paulson
9). Laura Tveter
10). Nancy Sorge
Weekly Drawing Winners:
Kathy Horvath – Monroe Social
Lillian Kus – Brothers Pizza
Lina Lombana – Sakana Sushi
Michelle Orr – Mason Jar
Nathan Smith – El Coyote
Pamela Williams – Lorraine K. Boutique
End of Contest Drawing Winners:
Bonnie Schneider – Veracious
Briget Stronge – Lakeside Nutrition
Elmer Hayden – Terra Cafe
Julee Lesko – Seven Maples
Lisa Molwitz – Republic Kitchen
Lisa Pinto – Monroe Town and Country Vet Hospital
Marsha Vetare – Salon Aponte
