A trio of South Surrey students are leading a campaign to help local restaurants and cafés that have been hard hit by the pandemic.
Eat Local, set to run from Sept. 20 till Oct. 11, is being organized by Semiahmoo Secondary’s Joyce Guo, Ryan Wang and Vivian Yang.
Supported by the South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce, the campaign aims to motivate students to eat at different businesses with a ‘passport’ that offers an opportunity to win prizes simply by collecting and submitting proof of their patronage – meal receipts and a server’s signature.
Entries – a minimum of five are required for a chance to win – are submitted online, with prizes ranging from gift cards valued at $10 to $50, to first-generation AirPods.
There is also a social-media component that enourages students to post their meals on Instagram and tag the campaign as well as the chamber.
Nearly three dozen eateries are participating, according to a list on the campaign’s website.
The chamber has supported similar student-led initiatives in the last three years, including one led by members of Elgin Park Secondary’s DECA Business Club in 2018.
READ MORE: South Surrey students aim to spice up peers’ taste buds and promote business
That two-week campaign was an effort to connect students with the buffet of dining-out options in White Rock/South Surrey, through offering Peninsula teens with a valid student ID card discounts of up to 15 per cent at local eateries.
The business students negotiated the discounts in exchange for a commitment to promote the businesses’ involvement, including through social media.
This year, the chamber is supporting the program with marketing, materials and guidance, executive director Ritu Khanna said Monday.
“It’s wonderful to see young people understanding and taking the initiative to support our local businesses, especially during the pandemic,” Khanna told Peace Arch News by email.
“This is the third year that the Chamber has supported similar student led programs. What I am seeing is that it continues to grow with more creativity and components for more people and businesses to get engaged with it.”
For more information, visit eatlocalcampaign.ca
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