MacLeod SCC looks for businesses to join gift-card fundraiser
August 28, 2023, 9:46 am
Sierra D'Souza Butts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The MacLeod Elementary School Community Council (SCC) is seeking local businesses to participate in their third Shop Local Gift Card Fundraiser.
Last year, 20 businesses from Moosomin, and one from Whitewood, joined the fundraiser, resulting in MacLeod’s SCC selling $117,425 worth of gift cards and raising $8,730 to support school initiatives.
The fundraiser focuses on selling pre-paid gift cards and certificates from participating local businesses in Moosomin.
In return, local businesses choose anywhere between two to 20 per cent of the gift card sales to be donated back to SCC.
The deadline for businesses to join this year’s fundraiser is Friday, Sept. 1.
“This will allow everyone to have time to sell the gift cards and be able to use them at the height of the holiday shopping season,” said Shannon Beckett, SCC Chair.
“Businesses may even wish to purchase gift cards for their staff for the holidays, and by doing so will benefit our local businesses and school in a huge way.”
Tyler Thorn, owner of Moosomin Celebration Ford, said he bought gift cards during last year’s fundraiser for his staff for the holidays.
“Two big benefits I see from it is they sell Celebration Ford gift cards, so we see some spin off that way,” said Thorn. “The other one is the cards we buy, the money is being spent on our fellow business owners in town.
“I think it’s important they get it out early in advance of Christmas shopping season so people can use those.
“In our case, we gift them to the staff right away so they can use those, if they want to, for their Christmas shopping.”
The Shop Local Gift Card Fundraiser is a great way to support local businesses while also giving back to the school in town, said Thorn.
“I think it’s very important to shop local, whether people are shopping retail or businesses supporting the businesses that support them, I think both of those things are very important,” he said.
“We always try to do that from our perspective. If we can buy it in town then we do, it’s very important.”
Thorn said he hopes to see local businesses join and support MacLeod’s SCC fundraiser this year.
“I think it’s a really great fundraiser. The folks that took the initiative to get that started, kudos to them,” said Thorn.
“I just hope the business community continues to support it, not only in being a part of it and selling the gift cards, but also buying some gift cards as well. Also to sort of do what we’ve done, which is give it to our staff as a bonus, or reward, or however they see fit.”
When will gift cards be for sale?
People can purchase gift cards from the local participating businesses in the fundraiser, from Sept. 29 up until Oct. 27.
Proceeds from the fundraiser this year will go towards supporting school initiatives and the new playground fund, for Macleod Elementary School’s project of building a new all-inclusive playground at the school.
Local businesses can contact Beckett at (306) 434-6699 if they are interested in joining the fundraiser.
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