The City of Alameda is sponsoring a Shop Local for the Holidays event at the Little Ice Rink at South Shore Shopping Center on Saturday, December 6, from noon to 6:00 p.m. Local residents will be able to donate an unwrapped gift to Toys for Tots in exchange for a free Alameda Island Shopper re-usable shopping bag and a 20 percent discount on ice skating at the rink.
“This is a fun and easy way for people to be directly involved in strengthening our community,” said Mayor Marie Gilmore. “Being an Island Shopper helps keep sales tax dollars in Alameda to pay for city services like police and fire protection, street repairs, and parks and recreation. At the same time, donating a toy will bring joy to less fortunate children.”
Shopping in Alameda supports local businesses as well as the larger community. A share of every dollar spent in Alameda is recirculated in the local economy. Many merchants are self-employed, live in Alameda, and hire local residents. Local businesses are also more generous in their support of Alameda non-profit organizations, schools, and community events.
Toys for Tots is a national program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them as holiday gifts to disadvantaged children in the East Bay.
The outdoor Little Ice Rink—sponsored by the Perforce Software Foundation, the South Shore Shopping Center, and Ice America—is located in the parking lot of South Shore Shopping Center, near Big 5 Sporting Goods at 325 Park Street.
For more information on the City’s Island Shopper program, please visit: http://alamedaca.gov/business/shop-local.
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