Inspired by the philosophy of "3/50 project: saving the brick & mortars our nation is built on," the Upper Queen Anne Merchants Association (UQAMA) will host a Shop Local and Save Our Schools fundraiser this fall.
"What better way, as a group of merchants, to demonstrate what the 3/50 project means to us than by giving back to the neighborhood we live in," said Jennifer Hill, event organizer and owner of Hilltop Yarn at 2225 Queen Anne Ave. N. "So, we're going to reach out to the public and private schools on Queen Anne and ask community members if they'll help us give back 10 percent of our sales from one weekend to the customer's school of their choice."
The 3/50 project asks people to consider what three independently owned businesses they would miss the most if they disappeared, and after doing so, to pick one store each month and spend $50 at that store. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor in February 2009, if half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent business, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.
For the fundraiser from Nov. 14-15, merchants on the Hill will have extended hours, new merchandise and special deals. Customers may opt to give 10 percent of the purchase total at any of the stores to a school of their choice. Though the details aren't concrete yet, customers will likely give their receipts to a designated school representative who will then return the receipts to the UQAMA, which will then write checks to the schools.
For independent business owner Hill, the fundraiser encompasses the "essence of the meaning of the 3/50 project" and, as a parent of a fifth grader at Coe Elementary School, Hill said the fundraiser will help the school district's already ailing budget problems.
Hill also emphasized, "This effort is not anti-chain. It's just about really acknowledging that it's the neighbors who help each other and it's neighbors who help each other get through tough times like what we're going through right now."
The fundraiser, which will be a first-year event, is still in the early planning stages. The list of participating merchants and schools-Coe, John Hay Elementary School, McClure Middle School and St. Anne School-isn't finalized, as more merchants may sign on and UQAMA still needs to work out details with schools, according to Hill. There also may be other schools she's not aware of that could benefit from the fundraiser, Hill added. A complete list of participants will be available on the fundraiser's Web site any day now, at www.shopupperqueenanne.com.
Like the details, Hill's not sure how much money will be raised, but would be thrilled with several thousand. "But a lot of that depends on the community and if they come out and support us that weekend," she said. "Our customers have a direct impact on how much we do give back."
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