$100 up for Grabs Saturday in Downtown Wyandotte

Want to win $100?

The Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority is putting its money where its mouth is.

It’s been preaching the importance of shopping locally for a long time and now is ready to reward those who do.

For the next five weeks, one lucky downtown shopper will be chosen randomly each week to win $100 in gift cards to downtown Wyandotte businesses. Winners will receive five $20 gift cards.

DDA Director Natalie Rankine said it’s an easy idea that works well in other communities.

“If someone wins gift cards to five places, it gets their foot into stores they wouldn’t normally go to,” she said. “And everybody likes a contest.”

There are three simple rules:

• Follow the DDA on Facebook and Twitter for clues on where and when the prize will be handed out.
• Shop during that time in retail outlets downtown.
• If you’re the lucky one spotted at the right time and the right place, you win.

“We’ll pre determine before going into the store that, say, the third person in line is the winner,” Rankine said.

The first giveaway is set to take place between noon and 8 pm. Saturday in conjunction with the nationwide Small Business Saturday movement. The winner will receive gift cards to , , , and .

“We hope this will get people to get out and shop locally for a chance to win,” Rankine said. “The important thing is shopping locally and not at big box stores.”

For years, worked as a manager for a national retail chain and said Black Friday was always the depressing part of the Thanksgiving holiday. Now as the owner of 4 Her, Rinna is her own boss and can decide, as she’s done for the first time this year, to close on Thursday and Friday and reopen to celebrate Small Business Saturday.

“Why would you want to go and be rushed through the stores without getting personal attention when you can go to a small business and focus on them and get all the personal attention that you need,” she said.

Rinna said she’s excited that her shop will be included in the first week of Wyandotte's gift card giveaway.

“It’ll hopefully encourage people to come down to see the unique things that the small businesses have,” she said.