Chattahoochee Main Street finishes in top 10 of national competition but falls short of big prize
In a national voting competition that pits Main Street organizations from small towns like Chattahoochee against their counterparts in cities with populations many times larger, few would likely bet on Chattahoochee Main Street finishing near the top of the contest – certainly not a serious wager, anyway.
But in an impressive showing of hometown solidarity and an enthusiastic, united backing from the small businesses and residents its serves, Chattahoochee Main Street proved a thorn in our proverbial betting man’s side this year, as the local civic/economic booster managed to garner votes numbering in the thousands – enough to earn it a spot among the top 10 semifinalists in this year’s “Independent We Stand” Main Street competition. In its fifth year, the annual competition is aimed at promoting towns that incubate and foster independent, locally owned enterprises. Winners are determined by vote tallies, with ballots cast via social media.
“Our Independent We Stand America’s Main Streets contest gives small business owners the opportunity to share their Main Street stories nationwide”, says Independent We Stand co-founder Bill Brunelle. “But we know it takes a community to make that possible, so we’re inviting consumers to help recognize their favorite indie businesses.”
Out of scores of Main Street organizations participating, Chattahoochee bested the bulk of them in votes, but ultimately fell short of the number one spot and big prizes that come with it. Still, top ten is nothing to balk at, particularly for Chattahoochee’s first year of participation.
“Though we didn’t win, it was very encouraging to see the participation of our community and the excitement it generated,” noted Chattahoochee Main Street Director Pam Medley. “The community was faithful in voting daily through both voting rounds. They engaged their friends and family who were also faithful in voting and sharing the post everyday.”
Best of all, the national, heavily publicized competition brought positive exposure to Chattahoochee and offered something for locals to feel good about amid tough times.
“It brought great excitement and something positive to look forward to everyday,” Medley said of the daily contest votes. “It was a great moral booster for our community, I believe, and being in the top ten is definitely something to be proud of. We need that sense of pride and place. A place to invest our time and talents.”
Learn more at ChattahoocheeMainStreet.org.
