The annual Christmas promotion for Estevan Mercury Publications will not only promote the diverse business community in Estevan, but it will also support local charities.
The Mercury has teamed up with the Estevan Salvation Army鈥檚 Food Bank, the Estevan Kinettes Club鈥檚 pyjama drive and the Community Hamper Association鈥檚 Angel Tree promotion, in which local hamper recipients with a child or children can select a toy to round out the hamper.
鈥淲e really want to help them get the word out and promote their needs this year. There are a lot of families in need,鈥� said Deanna Tarnes, the Mercury鈥檚 publisher and sales manager.
The promotion, named the Estevan Mercury鈥檚 Christmas Cash, starts Nov. 25, and will feature two separate $1,000 grand prizes.
People need to shop locally or donate to one of the partnering charitable organizations in order to win the first $1,000 prize.聽
More than 30 businesses are participating in this year鈥檚 promotion. There will be donation boxes set up at all businesses, and people can bring a donation of food, toys or pyjamas, and with every donation people bring in, they can enter their name to win $1,000 cash that the Mercury is offering as the prize.
They can also enter by shopping at those businesses.
Contestants can enter from Nov. 27-Dec. 12, and on Dec. 13, the Mercury will gather all of the donations for the different organizations. There will also be a draw that day for the $1,000 cash prize.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a nice community-minded promotion,鈥� said Tarnes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to use this opportunity for the businesses to advertise in the paper to tell you what they have to offer this holiday season.鈥�
Your Toy Store and More is offering a discount as part of the promotion. If a customer buys one toy for the Angel Tree, there will be a 20 per cent discount; buy two toys, including at least one for the Angel Tree, and save 30 per cent; buy three toys, including at least one for the Angel Tree, and save 40 per cent.
The other component for the promotion is during the week of Dec. 16-20, the Mercury and the participating businesses will do five days of social media contests, with an opportunity to win $1,000 courtesy of the Estevan Mercury.
People are encouraged to watch the Mercury鈥檚 Facebook page, which has more than 5,750 likes, for posts about these businesses. Each business will get a post during the promotion, and there will be information on the three participating charities.
鈥淭he Mercury wants to come together to help the people and help the advertisers, and show people they can get everything we need here,鈥� said Tarnes.
The Mercury is a strong proponent of shopping locally, not just at Christmas time but throughout the year. And it has used its Christmas campaigns to give back to the community, helping agencies like the Envision Counselling and Support Centre the last two years.
鈥淭his year is just bigger and better and getting more people involved in the giving back process,鈥� said Tarnes.
