Support Cleveland's Local Economy, Win Free Stuff

Local Blog-artist The Chef's Widow is providing a giveaway for Clevelanders, urging citizens to shop locally for the holiday season. The contest is derived of an interesting concept called the "3/50 Project".

The idea is simple: over the span of 3 months, try to spend at least $50 of your everyday shopping at a local, independently-owned merchants in the Cleveland area. Sounds simple enough, but the statistics regarding the positive effect it has on our city is quite surprising.

As explained at the Project's main website, "If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent business, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue [per the U.S. Labor Department as of 2/6/09]".

It continues, "For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures".

As a Cleveland-based independent news source, it seems only fitting that Cleveland Leader gets behind such an interesting idea and help spread the word. To participate in the Chef Widow's contest, all the details can be found on her blog which features some great prizes just in time for the Holiday season.