Elaine Suderman, Karen Kussmaul and Denise Fett are the October winners in the Bluffton downtown 3/50 Project.

They win an assortment of prizes from participating businesses as a result of their entry forms being picked in a random drawing.

Bluffton’s 3/50 Project is part of a nationwide effort that carried the tagline: “Save your local economy three stores at a time.”

This is Bluffton downtown merchant’s fourth year in sponsoring this promotion, which
encourages persons to pick three locally independent businesses, and spend $50 each month between the three.

According to their entry forms, here are the three businesses each winner shopped at in October follow:

• Suderman shopped at Spectrum Salon, Ten Thousand Villages and Greg’s Pharmacy.
• Kussmaul shopped at Et Cetera, Luke’s and Town and Country Flowers.
• Fett shopped at Greg’s Pharmacy, Community Market and Citizens National Bank

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 October, November and December.

Participants in the drawing may obtain entry forms and details from any participating downtown merchant. Completed entries can be dropped off at the following businesses to be considered in the monthly drawings:

• Et Cetera Shop
• Town and Country Flowers
• First National Bank
• Luke’s Bar and Grill
• Greg’s Pharmacy
• Ten Thousand Villages
• The Black Lab
• Spectrum Salon