Stuart Encourages Residents to Participate in “Small Business Saturday”

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, encourages residents to shop local this holiday season and support the Metro East’s small business community.

“I visit many local businesses in our community to learn more about the issues impacting the employers in my district,” said Stuart. “I see firsthand how local businesses give back to our community, not only through their contributions to the regional economy but also through their charity work to benefit members of our community. I recently visited Kurt’s Collision in Maryville, whose employees recently got to work at 4 a.m. to cook 16 turkeys for over 100 veterans who may not have had a family to celebrate this holiday season with. This is just one example of how much small business give back to the community, and we owe it to them to support them with our wallets.”

Stuart, who sponsored legislation to prioritize American-made and Illinois-made products in state purchasing, is encouraging local residents to participate in Small Business Saturday on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday is an alternative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday and encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar local businesses.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and I have enjoyed getting to know the owners and see all of the good work they do for our residents,” Stuart continued. “I encourage everyone to participate in Small Business Saturday to support the small businesses that support our community.”