Live Local Fallon boosts economy with a passport

The city of Fallon will kick off the new Live Local Fallon campaign on Monday as the city-wide program is an initiative that rewards participants for supporting the local economy by shopping, eating and patronizing local businesses while collecting stamps on the Live Local Passport.

Participants submit completed passports monthly for a chance at winning rewards.

Live Local Fallon is a comprehensive campaign that encourages consumers to re-connect with local businesses and also promotes local events and volunteerism. Live Local Fallon’s goal is to educate residents on how local shopping, dining and volunteering can preserve and enhance Fallon as a vibrant and healthy community. Each piece of the Live Local Fallon campaign — Eat Local, Shop Local, Volunteer Local, Play Local and Community — combines to create a full-fledged economic engine for the city of Fallon.

Throughout the year, Live Local participants collect Passport stamps for a chance to win prizes from participating local businesses. Each time an individual shops, dines, volunteers or attends a participating community event, he or she receives a Live Local passport stamp. Residents must collect a total of 22 stamps across five categories to be eligible for the monthly drawing and Passports are available at City Hall, the Fallon Chamber of Commerce and the Fallon Convention Center.

Eat Local: The diverse options for dining locally as well as the availability of world-class produce grown in Churchill County perfectly position “Eat Local” locations to reap the benefits of the Live Local Fallon campaign. Live Local Fallon’s “Eat Local” program highlights these offerings, encouraging residents to patronize the family farms and neighborhood restaurants that are the backbone of Fallon’s food heritage. Live Local Fallon requires participants to earn five stamps each month to qualify for the drawings.

Shop Local: Live Local Fallon’s “Shop Local” program encourages locals to buy from locally-owned, independent businesses. But the program also works with local businesses to meet the needs of local consumers. The “Shop Local” portion includes dozens of options ranging from professional services to hardware stores and many others. Participants are required to earn 10 “Shop Local” stamps per month to qualify for the drawings.

“Ideally, the Live Local campaign will inspire the people who live here to get all the things they need, from insurance to new tires, right here in Fallon,” said Chris Rogne of E.H. Hursh, Inc. “We all need to support the local economy — support each other — and this is a great way to achieve that goal.”

Volunteer Local: Using a database of volunteers and community organizations, the “Volunteer Local” portion of the campaign pairs volunteers with organizations or events in need. Only one volunteer stamp per month is required to qualify for the drawings.

“One thing I see in this community is a lot of people who are willing to volunteer but don’t know where to go,” said Natalie Parrish of the Fallon Chamber of Commerce. “A major focus of the campaign will be educating Fallon residents on what is available to them in their own backyard.”

Play Local: Live Local Fallon’s “Play Local” program encourages participants to take advantage of local entertainment and recreation. The program offers a mix of cultural, educational, outdoor and sporting events and organizations, and many of the participants, such as the Churchill Arts Council, host additional events that qualify patrons to earn stamps for attending. This portion of Live Local is intended to introduce Fallon residents to the diverse array of activities that are hosted within city limits. Participants are required to earn five “Play Local” stamps per month to qualify for the drawings.

Community: Fallon’s year-round menu of community events is also incorporated into the Live Local Fallon campaign. Community concerts that act as gathering places for local residents, as well as school sporting and performance arts events, earn residents stamps each month. Community stamps will be a free opportunity to get a stamp at a live local event.

“Fallon has a long list of great local resources that many people simply don’t know about,” said Mayor Kenny Tedford. “Live Local Fallon is designed to get our residents in the doors of those businesses and out to the events to change the way we shop, eat, and live.”

About the Live Local Fallon Passport Program kickoff

The Live Local Fallon program begins Monday. All resources and participating businesses are listed on www.livelocalfallonnv.com along with a list of monthly prizes.

Live Local Fallon culminates June 30, 2014, with a party hosted by the City of Fallon to celebrate a year of dedication to local establishments. At that time, there is a grand prize drawing to award one lucky Live Local participant with a brand new car. Visit the website to find out how to enter the monthly and grand prize drawings.

Live Local Fallon is directly organized, funded and executed by the city of Fallon.