As if Helene wasn’t scary enough on so many levels, now it’s time to flip the script and provide some frightening fun and support for small businesses.
The Aiken Downtown Development Association (ADDA) is sponsoring two events in advance of Halloween. First up is the #DowntownAiken Scarecrow Contest where you can walk the streets of Downtown Aiken and vote on your favorite Scarecrow up until October 26th.
Voting Instructions:
- Find your favorite Scarecrow(s) from these pictures and give it a LIKE to cast your vote.https://www.facebook.com/downtownaiken/posts/pfbid0VVgeXE5qGZvAPJcyMsMLPqMZ26qYKAsQGifz1nVW5dAAToSJcr1VFmGEM2r316FAl?rdid=iapmVKsnT1EHkGCw
- Walk the streets of downtown to find a QR Code on each Scarecrow for an additional vote.
- Come to the Fall in Love with Downtown event on October 26th to cast an in-person vote at any ADDA downtown business.
Cecelia Roust and Marvin Sterling are co-owners of Neon Fig and Electric Eats. Both were closed for more than a week after power outages.
“We lost all our fresh and frozen foods. Our employees, like many in the CSRA, experienced damage to their homes,” explained Cecilia Roust.
Like many small business owners, Roust is looking for happiness and downtown business support, especially between Halloween and the Christmas holidays.
“We are trying to gain back business after a catastrophic event.”
Sarah Dodge and her retail business, True Aiken, also look forward to the possible business boost from the upcoming ADDA events.
“It was hard to be closed after Helene, but the community has made an effort to support us. We are excited about the upcoming events and are grateful that the ADDA is working hard to help our local businesses,” Dodge said.
Vampire Penguin will also be joining the lineup for the ADDA Scarecrow contest. Their theme is from the movie Edward Scissorhands. Perhaps that is profound, the message from the movie is self-discovery and isolation. In the past three weeks, we have all dealt with that.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
