In the know with Osceola Chamber Main Street

While city department stores and malls report a shortage of Santa representatives, long lines, and a scarcity of parking spaces, small town Osceola has none of these problems. During Shop Small Saturday/Holliday Brilliance, even at the larger stores, shoppers park just a few feet from the door and once inside, transact with familiar business owners and employees. Downtown, families or groups of friends leisurely strolled from one store to the next or waited in short lines for various activities. No matter where they shopped in Osceola, however, they supported local businesses and the local economy.

Small Business Saturday, launched by American Express in 2010, at the height of the Great Recession, promotes directing dollars to local stores. Now, it’s observed in all 50 states, and in 2011, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing Small Business Saturday.

The idea of shopping local resonated with more people during the pandemic. Chambers of Commerce and Main Street organizations produced many promotions to shine a light on the importance of keeping dollars at home and helping local businesses. Hometown businesses pour millions of tax dollars into local economies to support schools, hospitals, and emergency services, and local projects, events, and people.

Last year, the U.S. Small Business Administration reported Americans spent nearly $20 billion on Small Business Saturday in contrast with a $100 billion-plus cumulated spending over the previous decade of this shopping holiday. Shopping-Buying locally keeps an estimated $.67 or more of every dollar spent in the community. https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/marketing/small-business-saturday

The Osceola Holiday Brilliance/Shop Small Saturday provided a traditional experience to kick-off the Christmas season: Mr. and Mrs. Claus, his reindeer an elf representative on the courtyard; a holiday craft workshop; letters to Santa and Santa’s Mailbox; Gingerbread house contest; mule team wagon rides; small business shopping deals with merchants who know their customers, and a lighted parade all within minutes of anyone living in Clarke County.

Holiday Brilliance/Shop Small in Numbers-the Sponsors and Volunteers Who Made It Happen

Thank you to Premier Sponsor Community First Credit Union and Hunsicker and Associates for their support, and to the Clarke County Development Corporation for sponsoring Santa’s Reindeer.

With an average time spent of at least two and a half hours each, it took 28 people over 70 hours to set-up the light displays on the courtyard. People representing several local businesses volunteered to help with the job spread over five days; without their dedication, the courtyard would be much darker during the holiday season.

Lighting Volunteers

The City Street Crew: Mike Fry, Dan Cooper and Mike Henry; Osceola Fire Department: Byron Jimmerson, Mike Spalding, Dean Spalding, Bobby Fuller, Hunter Simpson, Tammy Thomas and Austin Taylor; SalonRed: Laura Langholz, Macey and Lincoln and Richie Donaldson; Rychnovsky Lawn/Rychnovsky Pest Control: Sara Rychnovsky, Noah Kaldenberg and Fani Fry; Great Western Bank: Spencer Chapman and Sean Cullen; Chesnut Lawn and Landscape, Jack Chesnut; Clarke Electric: Dave and Lee Ann Opie, Doug Reasoner and Nick Gannon; Cactus Family Farms- Yolanda Rosales; 1st National Bank- Casey Spoelstra; Ruth Ward-OCMS Design Team and community volunteer, Nathan Brammer.

Blakely Tree Service-Shane Blakely lights-up the bandstand each year and George Norris keeps an eye on the connections throughout the season.

Nine Pre-Celebration Volunteers

Dawn Kempen- Osceola Foods, distributed 20 Holiday Brilliance posters to businesses. Payton Kempen and Jenna Crawford filled 96 goody bags for Santa and Mrs. Claus to distribute. Sean Cullen-Great Western Bank dispersed nine Shop-Small swag-filled bags to downtown businesses. Sara Rychnovsky-Rychnovsky Lawn, Inc. took 500 reminders to the elementary.

Nicole Jacobson-1st National Bank, Dave Bemis-American State Bank and Laura Langholz-SalonRed, all helped the Event Coordinator carry decorations, drop cords and lights from the basement. Byron Jimmerson-Clarke County Emergency Management hauled PVC trees, posts, and other decorations to the courtyard.

Holiday Brilliance Hosts

The former Robinson Building came to life, again, with several activities, many children, and families. Angie Williams-Great Western Bank organized and monitored the Letters to Santa. She said about 25 children put their letters in Santa’s mailbox.

Kasi Shaw, Megan Rinner and Rhonda Wilcox-representing Mosaic, hosted the crafting station where approximately 35-40 children made reindeer food and be-jeweled popsicle stick snowflakes.

Ashlyn and Jenna Crawford and Brenda Hernandez organized 28 entries for the Mayberry’s Gingerbread contest and seven winners earned prizes: Abel Perry, Emelyn Welch and Aylah Miller, Moyra Hicks, Damon Toney, Belinda Myers, and Chynna Beydler.

Angie Jimmerson set-up her Pampered Chef Display to add one more shopping option for people looking for Christmas presents.

Parade Entries and Volunteers-

Although not all the names were captured, approximately 14 parade lighted parade entries made two trips around the square. Mr. and Mrs. Claus-Mark and Vicki Binning with Harley Pippen; Mr. and Mrs. Dave Twilligear, Boy Scout Troop 104/Pack 101-Jason and Callie Shields and Stacey Feehan; City of Osceola Street Department, Osceola Fire Department (several entries), Woodburn Fire Department, Bad Boy Mowers-O’Hair Family, John and Dawn Kempen Family-Osceola Foods, Altec, Mayberry’s-Brian, Jenna and Ashlyn Crawford; Altec, Clarke Community High School FFA members and Jennifer Miler; and Dwayne Stewart’s Mule Team pulled wagon.

Special thanks to Osceola Police Department for keeping everyone safe along the route and to George Norris who gave his time to announce the parade.

To stay In the Know, subscribe to the absolutely free Monday Morning Update by sending your email to ocms@osceolaia.net. Are you interested in making an impact the community, sharing your talents or creativity? Contact Chamber-Main Street 641-342-4200; follow events, business news and promotions at the official Facebook page www.facebook.com/OCMS06 or checkout www.osceolachamber.com.