The Downtown Huntsville Business Improvement Area (BIA) is giving out more than $30,000 in free vouchers to support businesses downtown.
“We’re giving away vouchers to support our businesses, but it’s also great way to support our community and be thankful for our community, who have supported local throughout this whole pandemic and this whole construction project,” says Huntsville BIA Manager Morgan Richter. “It’s just a good way to create excitement during a hard time.”
The initial giveaway consists of $21,000 worth of “Diggin’ Downtown Vouchers,” named after the downtown construction project currently underway. Another $9,000 worth of vouchers will be given away at random to patrons of downtown businesses. Ontario residents can request a package of three $10 vouchers be sent to their address, starting May 31st.
Although the BIA has sold vouchers for a long time, Ritcher says the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a new interest in the voucher program last year. Over $25,000 worth of vouchers were sold in 2020 to be used at local businesses, according to Ritcher.
With the giveaways this year, Richter says she hopes to get even more money back into the community.
“We have over $30,000 to just give away, but we’re also hoping to sell over $20,000 worth,” says Ritcher. “We’re hoping $50,000 goes back into the pockets of the merchants, and our community.”
Richter says the free vouchers are funded partly by the Town of Huntsville and partly by the BIA. $20,000 was provided by the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association as part of an tourism stimulus grant, and $10,000 came from the BIA’s budget.
The vouchers will be valid at a variety of businesses in and around the downtown core from June 7th to November 29th. You can register to receive a voucher package, buy vouchers, and find eligible businesses on the Huntsville BIA’s website.