Newport Chamber kicks off Shop Til You Drop promotion
It pays to shop local! The Retail Merchants Committee of the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce has kicked off the 2018 “Shop Til You Drop” holiday promotion at 24 participating locations in Newport. By visiting your local retailers, everyone 18 and older will be eligible to register for more than a dozen great prizes.
Drawings will be held on Friday, Dec. 14. To increase your chances of winning, be sure to stop by all of the participating locations:
2 Chicks Nursery & Gifts, Attention Medical Supply, B&C Tire, C&M Ag Depot, Cash Saver, Charee’s Emporium, Churchman Building Center, Darling’s Fine Things, Darling Pharmacy, Eddie’s Auto Parts, Farmers Oil Corp, Gates Eye Care Center, George Kell Motors, Greenway Equipment, Harris Ford, iCare RX Pharmacy, Jones Home Furnishings, Norman & Baker Pharmacy, Purdy’s Flowers & Gifts, Quick Lane, The Red Tie Meat Shop, Scott Wood Ram Truck Center, Subway and Tickled Pink Boutique.
Mark your calendar for for the annual Holiday Open House which will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Extended shopping hours, one-day-only deals and holiday refreshments. Full details coming next week!
Lots of chances to win! Prizes include:
$1,000 Shopping Spree Grand Prize
$150 Mini Shopping Spree
Nativity Scene from 2 Chicks Nursery & Gifts
Free Balance & Rotation from B&C Tire
K2 Cooler from C&M Ag Depot
$25 gift certificate from Pink Poodle Boutique at Charee’s Emporium
$25 gift certificate from Back Forth Boutique at Charee’s Emporium
$25 gift certificate from 21 South Boutique at Charee’s Emporium
$25 gift certificate from Three Wishes Boutiqe at Charee’s Emporium
$75 gift certificate from Darling’s Fine Things
Half Gallon of Diva Wash from Darling’s Pharmacy
Two $30 gift cards from Farmers Oil
John Deere Toy from Greenway Equipment
Free Oil Change from Harris Ford
Electronic Glass Scale from iCareRx Pharmacy
Cheetah Print Accent Chair from Jones Home Furnishings
Happy Everything Nesting Cube with choice of attachment from Purdy’s Flowers & Gifts
Free Oil Change from Quick Lane
$25 gift card from Red Tie Meat Shop
Free Oil Change from Scott Wood Ram Truck Center
Sandwich Platter and a Dozen Cookies from Subway
Aromatique Gift Basket in Christmas scent from Tickled Pink Boutique
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.