South King News

Shopping online and in big-box stores for the holidays may have more prominence in 2020, King County Executive Dow Constantine wants residents to spend their money at local businesses. 

The county executive announced a new campaign called Keep it local King County, a social media initiative that started in November. 

The campaign promotes local businesses' offerings in neighborhood restaurants, artistic attractions, health and wellness centers and more. 

"While I am heartened that so many have done so much to help us respond to this unprecedented crisis, I also appreciate the burden on and anxiety felt by many restaurants, retailers, arts organizations and their employees," Constantine said in a Nov. 23 release.

Shortly before the campaign's announcement, 630 King County small businesses, including restaurants, retailers, contractors and farms, were awarded a total of $4 million in grants to assist with COVID-related impacts. 

"The grant definitely helped me," Yulonda Rhodes of Texture Salon Studio in White Center said in the release. "Prior to COVID, I was in process of doing some remodeling. Then COVID happened, I got laid off from my part-time job, and this business slowed down. The grant allowed [me] to get everything I needed to get done. It definitely helped." 

The campaign will promote a different option each day to entice shopping locally. For instance, on Mondays, the campaign will highlight purchasing memberships in organizations such as arts and culture. A full list of the daily themes is available online.