ISLE OF WIGHT Co., Va.— Shopping small will have twice the impact in Isle of Wight County on Wednesday.
December 9, three organizations are coming together for a second round of the #IsleShopSmall Gift Certificate Program.
The program aims to support the local economy during COVID-19 by matching up to $100 in online and in-person gift card purchases for participating county businesses.
Shoppers get twice as much money to spend and shops and restaurants get twice as much support.
Smithfield and Isle of Wight County Tourism, Isle of Wight County Economic Development, and the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce created the program using federal CARES Act funds.
Last month, the organizations set up a five hour window for gift card purchases for 100 participating businesses with $100,000 available for matching.
Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jessica Jones-Healey tells News 3 the event blew up, with interest coming from as far as Michigan and South Carolina. Match dollars sold out in just 90 minutes.
This time around, there is $300,000 in CARES Act money set aside for #IsleShopSmall Round Two, which means potentially $600,000 injected into the local economy.
Two purchase waves have also been set up to help spread out funds.
Shoppers can buy gift certificates online, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9.
Isle of Wight County residents without can purchase certificates in-person on sales day at the Smithfield Visitor Center and at the Windsor Town Center during the same times.
The program will match each purchase, dollar for dollar, for as long as the matching fund lasts.
Gift certificates will expire December 31, 2021.
For more info, visit here.
