Come uptown and have a chance to win – gift cards and prizes from Bluffton merchants.

This week 2,600 Bluffton postal customers will receive a post card inviting them to “shop, sip, eat, play, local.” In a nutshell its message encourages shopping locally.

The postcard makes area residents aware of a Bluffton merchants and Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce major fall promotion. It centers on a concept titled “3/50 Project.” The nationwide project carries the tagline: “Save your local economy three stores at a time.”

The promotion encourages persons to pick three locally independent businesses, and spend $50 each month between the three.

According to Aphaphanh Nussbaum and Julie Stratton, who have helped create the Bluffton effort: “The idea is to commit $50 each month to locally-owned businesses, which will also help restart the local economy.”

“Maybe that means rethinking where you currently invest your money, opting to pick up that birthday card or gift in an independently-owned business instead of a chain store. You may find a new favorite restaurant or shop and spending more than $50 a month will even have a greater impact. It’s just that simple,” they said.

To make the Bluffton 3/50 effort more enticing all shoppers who participate will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Persons may enter as many times as they wish.

Three winners will be drawn monthly for September, October and November. Participants in the drawing may obtain entry forms and details from the following businesses to be considered in the monthly drawings:

• Community Market
• Et Cetera Shop
• Town and Country Flowers
• First National Bank
• Sielschott, Walsh, Keifer & Regula, CPA
• Luke’s Bar and Grill
• The Curling Iron
• Greg’s Pharmacy
• Ten Thousand Villages

The prize list continues to grow. As of this week, it includes: $10 gift certificate from Ten Thousand Villages, $10 gift certificate from Town and County Flowers, a pair of designer sunglasses from Family Eye Care, and three $10 gift certificates from the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce.