Give back this holiday season with downtown giving trees
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ALPENA -- The Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA) announced the kickoff of the Downtown Alpena Giving Trees in a press release on Wednesday.
Starting Saturday, Nov. 14 until Dec. 12, participating downtown businesses will decorate a tree in their place of business with tags listing what is needed for a local nonprofit or school. Visit a participating business, take a tag, and bring back that item to the business before Dec. 12. The business will then deliver all collected items to their chosen organization.
This is a new DDA initiative.
"The holiday season downtown is already such a wonderful time of year, and this event is a great addition to that. Having over 15 downtown businesses participating shows how much they care about our local community," Savannah Peterson, administrative assistant for the Alpena DDA, said in the release.
Participating businesses will have their trees decorated and on display starting Saturday, Nov. 14 as part of the Downtown Alpena Holiday Kick-off Event that takes place from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
During the event, shoppers can also take part in a Downtown Dollars promotion--buy $75 and get $25 free--when they purchase them at Parallel 45 Books & Gifts, the release stated. The promotion will run on Saturday until $1,500 of bonus dollars are given out, with a maximum $100 in bonus dollars per person. Downtown Dollars are paper gift certificates that can be used at over fifty downtown businesses, including shops, restaurants, salons, theaters, and more.
The Giving Trees will stay up through Dec. 12 which is the day of the second-annual Christmas at the Commons event from 2 to 6 p.m. Christmas at the Commons takes place at the Water Street Commons (123 Water Street), where there will be tractor rides throughout the downtown, bonfires, and special gluhwein, a mulled wine found at Christmas markets throughout Europe, for sale.
"There is no place like Downtown Alpena for the holidays, and we are grateful for downtown businesses who are helping out local nonprofits and schools with this new promotion. We hope you come help us support these local causes by grabbing a tag from the Giving Trees--and also shop local this holiday season!" Peterson said in the release.