With the Richmond Area Business Association's (RABA) Visitor Outreach Program (to attract more visitors to Bolton, Huntington and Richmond) well underway, the Association agreed, at our 8/29/2006 monthly meeting, to embark upon another major initiative, a Buy Local Program which will focus on motivating area citizens to support local businesses, professionals and organizations. Working together we can accomplish some things that we can't as individuals.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The first meeting of the RABA Buy Local Program will be Thursday, 9/7/2006, 8:00 AM at the Bridge Street Café. All are welcome.

Within RABA territory (Bolton, Huntington and,Richmond) we have at least a few hundred businesses, professionals and organizations that for the most part operate independently to market themselves. The RABA Buy Local Program will not only focus on locally grown food (as most Buy Local programs do) but will include the products and services of participating area businesses, professionals and organizations.

The RABA invites members and non-members to attend our Buy Local meetings to see how we can help each other market to our local citizens. Our area is rich in sources of most items we need, however, many citizens purchase elsewhere because they:

1. don’t know about these sources

2. think they are more costly

3. don’t know where they are

4. are not aware of the importance of buying locally to our communities….

I look forward to seeing you at our first Buy Local meeting.

PS – If you can't make the meeting, please email me your thoughts and ideas.

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Larry Bohen - Richmond Area Business Association
Bolton - Huntington - Richmond
Three Small Towns Chock Full of Welcome
a> href="http://www.richmondvermont.com">www.richmondvermont.com
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