Update: 5:07 p.m. Saturday, March 28
With the stay-at-home order in effect Monday, this program will be more important than ever to our community, according to Sara Bloom, DHDC director.
**There will be a $1,000 per customer limit on purchase.
**All customers will be given the option of keeping their bonus cards or donating them to a local food bank.
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Downtown Hays Development Corp. in cooperation with Astra Bank is offering a bonus for people who buy gift cards from participating downtown Hays businesses April 1 through May 31.
For every $25 purchased in gift cards, buyers will receive a $10 gift certificate to Dillons or Walmart.
Sara Bloom, DHDC director, said there is currently no limit on the amount of gift cards that can be purchased.
"This is a way to help get cash to downtown businesses through gift cards and back into stores plus offset grocery costs and support families," Bloom said.
The program has been dubbed Stronger Than Ever Working Together .
All of the gift card purchases will be handled through the DHDC office. A special webpage on the DHDC website is being created where buyers can select and purchase their gift cards.
The gift cards will be mailed to purchasers. Bloom said there are two reasons for this process. The first is that not all downtown businesses have gift card systems or websites in place.
The second is to promote social distancing.
Although some of the downtown businesses are temporarily closed to honor coronavirus precautions, the gift cards can be used when the businesses reopen.
Walmart has also been a generous donor for this program, Bloom said, and has agreed to donate the first $1,000 worth of gift cards.