Designed to bolster local shopping during the busy Christmas season, the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce’s Passport to Christmas is underway.
The program kicked off on Nov. 17 and runs through to Dec. 26, said Sherry Gummow, president of the Ponoka chamber.
“It’s a way to encourage local purchases,” she said, adding that over the years, the chamber — through the program — has been able to track about $3 million worth of sales.
Shoppers pick up a passport, and as they shop at participating local businesses, they continue to ‘fill up’ their passports which are eventually put into a draw box onsite.
“They all get combined for the big draw,” she said.
“Each business also will do an in-store draw — that is part of the program.”
Prize draws will be made at the end of the campaign.
As Gummow pointed out, the program is helpful to businesses to better understand where some customers are coming from.
“They can tell you how many came from Rimbey, or Wetaskiwin for example.”
So it can be helpful for businesses who may want to target some marketing to a certain area, she said.
Gummow said Passport to Christmas has been running for several decades now.
“I moved here in 1991, and it was going then,” she said, adding she has heard it’s been in place for upwards of 40 years.
“Shoppers from across the region look forward to this annual event, with chances to win great prizes.”
As the owner of Busted Ladies Lingerie, she also knows firsthand how much customers have come to appreciate the program, and also how much they look forward to it every holiday season.
She didn’t participate for one year, and customers were consistently asking about it.
“The one year that I didn’t do it, people were asking about the Passport to Christmas,” she said.
“So I’ve done it ever since!”
For more information about Passport to Christmas, find Ponoka Chamber of Commerce on Facebook.