Shop for the cause in downtown Barrington
A new weekly promotion by the Barrington Independent Merchants organization intends to get downtown Barrington bustling on the weekends while also helping out the area's not-for-profits.
"Shop for the Cause" is ready to start as soon as the first not-for-profit registers to be the organization of the day on an upcoming Saturday.
The promotion works by having participating downtown businesses donate a certain percentage of their proceeds from the day to that Saturday's cause.
The idea was thought up by Angie Consalvo, owner of Angelina's, and Theresa T. Patton, owner of TT Patton downtown.
Consalvo said each business will decide the percentage it will donate, but for most of the 20 stores that have already agreed to participate, it will be about 10 percent.
Stores will demonstrate their participation with a red "Shop for the Cause" sign in their windows, but it will be up to the organizations that are benefiting to promote their particular Saturday and distribute the vouchers needed for the businesses to contribute.
Vouchers can be distributed by e-mail, printable from Web sites or handed out in person on the street, but participating businesses won't necessarily be distributing them themselves.
Not-for-profits in need of dollars can sign up for any available Saturday from January through October. "Shop for a Cause" will be inactive during the Christmas shopping season.
Consalvo and Patton are reminding the public of the importance of supporting local, independently owned businesses.
For every $100 spent in such stores, $68 comes right back to the community in the form of taxes, payroll and other expenses. But with national chains, only $43 stays in the community. And when shopping online, nothing does.
More information about signing up a not-for-profit or a downtown business can be found by visiting TT Patton's Web site at ttpatton.com or Angelina's at shopangelina.com.
Once not-for-profits begin registering, the Barrington Area Library will also include a schedule of "Shop for a Cause" Saturdays on its own Web site.
- Eric Peterson