Shop Local to Get on Santa’s Nice List

The Santa Cash campaign begins November 18 in Claremore.

Members of the Claremore Chamber board presented a $10,000 check to last year’s grand prize Santa Cash winner, Kim Massman, at Will Rogers Downs Grandstands. (L to R): Tony Cavallo and Ali Aguilar (Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs), Julie Adams, Pam Steffens, Kim Massman, Kelli Sellers, Santa Claus, and Dell Davis.

If you need some extra money for holiday spending or to pay bills, then plan your shopping by patronizing Claremore businesses for the annual Santa Cash ­promotion, which kicks off at noon on Friday, November 18. The annual Claremore Chamber of Commerce’s promotion encourages people to “shop local” for the holiday season.

Two cash prizes will be awarded to Santa Cash shoppers on December 17 at 11 a.m. at the Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs Grandstands, east of Claremore on Highway 20. The grand prize winner will walk away with a check for $10,000 while a $2,500 check will be awarded to the second-place ­ticket holder.

“A third drawing of $1,500 cash does not require you to be present to win,” says Julie Adams, Santa Cash chair. The winning number of the third-place prize will be posted on the chamber’s website and in the Claremore Daily Progress on Tuesday, December 20.

“If the Santa Cash ticket for the third-place winner is not ­presented at the chamber office for that particular week by deadline, a new number will be posted,” says Dell Davis, Claremore Chamber of Commerce president. “So even if you are out of town or unable to attend the ‘live’ drawing, you still have the opportunity to win $1,500.”

The final weekly ticket posting, if no winning ticket has been presented, would be on Tuesday, January 10 with a deadline of Tuesday, January 17 at 5 p.m.  

“This is a great opportunity to win cash, just for shopping in Claremore,” says Julie Adams.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to keep holiday sales in our community,” Davis adds. “Every dollar spent in our community can re-circulate up to seven times, not to mention the benefits of the sales tax dollars working in and for Claremore.”

Santa Claus sponsor and host facility is Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. Other ­sponsors include Suburban Chevrolet, Mrs. Claus sponsor; Tulsa Federal Credit Union, Candy Cane Ticket sponsor; RCB Bank, 1st Bank Oklahoma, Bank of Commerce, Grand Bank, TTCU The Credit Union, Wal-Mart and the Claremore Daily Progress, Reindeer sponsors.

Elves, or ticket locations in Claremore, to date include: A Place of Grace, Ann’s Cleaners, Asiana Restaurant, Atwoods, Bank of Commerce, Boom-A-Rang Diner, Carl’s Coney Island, Cartridge World, Claremore Compounding Pharmacy, Claremore Daily Progress, Claremore Tire & Auto Repair, Claremore Chamber, Emily’s Playhouse, 1st Bank Oklahoma, Felts Shoes, Factory Connection, Foutz Chiropractic, Health Center Pharmacy, Grand Bank, Heins Jewelry,  J & J Pharmacy, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Lowe’s Home Improvement,  Make It Special, Napoli’s, NEO Federal Credit Union, Radio Shack, RCB Bank, Reasor’s, Robertson Tire, Stanley’s Get-It-Today, Stillwater Milling, Suburban Chevrolet, The UPS Store, TTCU The Credit Union, Tiny Cakes and Truffles, Tulsa Federal Credit Union, US Cellular, Walgreen’s, Warehouse Market, and Westlake Ace Hardware.

Santa Cash ends at noon on Friday, December 16. The ­drawing for the top two cash prizes is the following day. Last year’s winner, Kim Massman received her $10,000 winning ticket by shopping at Atwoods.

“Be sure to check our website, www.claremore.org, for the latest updates for additional activities being planned by our host, the Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs, on drawing day,” says Davis. “Remember it pays to shop in your community.”

For more information, contact

Claremore Chamber

of Commerce

(918) 341-2818

www.claremore.org

About Author Carol Beck-Round

After 30 years in public school education, Carol Round retired and moved from Grand Lake to Claremore, Oklahoma in 2005, where she writes a weekly faith-based column which runs in 14 Oklahoma newspapers as well as several national and international publications. Three volumes of her columns have been compiled into collections: A Matter of Faith, Faith Matters and by FAITH alone. She has also written Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God and a companion workbook, The 40-Day Challenge. This past year she has written three children’s books, a series called Nana’s 3 Jars, to teach children about the value of giving, saving and spending money. All of Carol’s books are available through Amazon. In addition to writing her weekly column, authoring books and speaking to women’s groups, she writes for Value News. She also blogs regularly at www.carolaround.com. When she is not writing or speaking, she loves spending time with her three grandchildren, working in her flowerbeds, shooting photos, volunteering at her church or going on mission trips overseas, and hiking. She is also an avid reader and loves working crosswords and trying to solve Sudoku puzzles.