How Canton Will Always Find a Way Forward

Way back in spring 2020, during the early days of the pandemic when families sheltering-in-place had not yet grown tired of one another, and we were all taken with the idea of baking our own bread while endlessly refreshing Instagram stories, I got together with a group of volunteers on a Zoom call to figure out how we could help businesses that were struggling.

This group of volunteers is known as the Canton Main Street board. Normally, the board plans large gatherings like First Friday and other fun events to show off downtown businesses. But there could be no events that would bring people in large numbers to check out all that Canton has to offer, and many businesses sat closed, employees furloughed, and doors locked.

So, the board devised a plan. Bylaws restrict funding to downtown Canton only, but nothing prevents those funds from being used to increase the buying power of the public when the businesses reopened. Thus, the Downtown Canton Gift Card Match Program was born.

People could buy a $20 gift card for only $10 to their favorite downtown businesses, and the Canton Main Street board would cover the rest. Patrons would double their money when they purchased the gift card, and businesses would have money in their tills to survive the shutdown – it was a win-win.

Downtown business Kalon Creative helped build a website and the online portal for the public to purchase the gift cards. A tracking system was developed, and businesses signed up to participate. After only a few weeks, the Match Program was ready. Once I gave the order for it to go live, I could immediately see the number of shoppers signing on, the number of carts being filled, and finally – the first sale.

Each time a sale was completed, the Match Program dropped a marker on a map to show the general location of the buyer. Starting slowly at first, sales soon began popping like a supercell all over the southeast: Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina – the reach of Canton's downtown businesses was greater than I'd expected, eventually including buyers from Colorado, Nevada, California, the Caribbean, and South America. This was an international success.

Within the first hour, gift cards to Canton's downtown restaurants were sold out, and nearly 800 gift cards were purchased.

After nine days, the Match Program closed. In that time, thankful merchants received their share of over $35,000. None of the local businesses that participated closed due to the pandemic.

The community saved downtown Canton. In the face of tragedy, citizens cared for each other. That spirit, that tenacity, that kindness is what makes Canton such a wonderful place to live.

This month, you have another opportunity to help downtown merchants. On Shop Small Business Saturday (November 28), the Canton Main Street board is holding a Beer & Wine Walk. Purchase tickets to receive tastes of over 20 wine and beer offerings while visiting downtown shops.

If there's one thing this pandemic taught me about my hometown, it is this: Canton will always find a way forward when its citizens help and support one another.