There is something special about getting the Black Friday issue of the Dispatch. It's like the newspaper had a third helping of stuffing and then found room for pie by loosening its belt a few notches.
When time slows down and families come together, many find it comforting to count their blessings, flip through the flyers, and start dreaming of Christmas.
Our area is blessed with an uncommon spirit of community and generosity. People seem to send as many year-end donations as Christmas cards, and they always find a few extra dollars for the Red Kettle. They volunteer at schools, churches and nonprofits. Hundreds join service clubs like Jaycees, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary and Sertoma.
We are also blessed with local businesses that embody this spirit.
Our business community always steps up. They volunteer alongside employees. They donate to silent auctions, scholarships and fundraisers. They sponsor tables, races, cook-offs, and golf holes. Their names are on the front of the brick, the middle of the brochure, and the back of the T-shirt.
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The goal of our Lakes Proud campaign is to preserve this spirit and inspire a pause before each purchase. Consider these Cass and Crow Wing County numbers:
• If every adult shifted just one $50 monthly purchase to a local business, we would retain $42 million each year.
• If every business shifted just one $500 monthly purchase, we would hold on to another $18 million.
That's 60 million reasons to be proud of our communities, which adds up to a better life for all of us. Consider reserving a portion of our holiday budget to buy unique gifts from our local stores, and then make Lakes Proud one of your New Year's resolutions at www.lakesproud.com .
Just like passing the potatoes at the Christmas table, what goes around comes around.
Matt Kilian is Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce president
