BG urges ‘buy local’

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A "buy local" campaign created by
Bowling Green State University students is getting a shot at continuing.At Friday’s Bowling Green Chamber of
Commerce Meeting, members voted to approve a $500 pledge request to fund one of two internship positions
connected with the project.A second position has already been funded by the Bowling Green Economic
Development Foundation."Obviously I think we’re all aware that there’s a concern among local business
owners, that we’ve started this buy local campaign, that it’s going to lose momentum" without the
students, said Chamber Board President Bruce Stevens.The project, dubbed "Buy BG," emerged from a
course taught in the BGSU’s Masters in Public Administration program.The students developed a slogan, logo,
and even a Facebook page for the effort after discovering that only 55 percent of the students they surveyed
said they visited local retailers once or twice a week.More than 25 percent said they never did.They also
began a visual directory of local businesses."The momentum is there and we do need to keep it
going," said Wendy Stram, head of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.Chamber Director Earlene
Kilpatrick noted that the professor who originated the course, Dr. Russell Mills, is working to secure
sustaining funds for the internships."It is very important. The go local campaign is nationwide and we
know that Bowling Green would benefit immensely.""It’s just a matter of keeping the manpower up
with the technology," she said.Stram also presented the monthly Business Climate Report to the chamber
board, noting the importance of tourism to the city.Referring to the number of attendees that turned out for
the Soccer Challenge last weekend, Stram told the board that "there were loads of soccer players with
their families going in and out of Art Walk."The Soccer Challenge is among the largest events held in
the city, behind the National Tractor Pull and the Black Swamp Arts Festival.She said that tourism is
booming in the city – in 2012 alone, hotel tax income was nearly $188,000, up significantly from the
previous year.Tourism, she said, sustains more than 437,000 full-time jobs in the state."We’re
researching new things, and new partnerships that we can do," she said of the CVB.In other business,
the board:• Heard that more than $3,254 has been raised for the 2013 fireworks through a letter-writing
campaign. A carryover of over $3,000 also exists from last year. The fundraising goal is $14,000. The
fireworks are scheduled for July 3 at the BGSU intramural fields.• Approved Brian Paskvan and Misty Dimick
as ex-officio directors.

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