The Atrium Florist & Gifts participated in this year’s Sampson Strong Together Brunch & Bows event. Debbie Jones won the Beartrack Farms chocolate pound cake from Aug. 29’s Sampson Strong Together Brunch & Bows event. Some piano players stop to play some of their music during the Aug. 29 Sampson Strong Together Brunch & Bows event. Sampson Strong Together Brunch & Bows event attendees played a little music during the Aug. 29 event.

Clinton has had one successful Sampson Strong Together Brunch and Bows event this year, and there is still another scheduled for later this month.

The first Sampson Strong Together Brunch & Bows event happened in Clinton and Roseboro on Aug. 29. There will be a second on Sept. 19 at Alfredo’s in Downtown Clinton, with a simultaneous event in Newton Grove at Parkside Grill, but the tickets for that event are already sold out. There are still tickets available for the Alfredo’s brunch.

“We felt like it went really well,” said City of Clinton Planning Director Mary Rose, who also serves as the Main Street Program manager. “In Clinton, we had 54 attendees and everyone seemed to really enjoy the brunch and just had a great time. They were very pleased with the swag bags. The feedback I got back from several businesses was very positive.”

Several businesses let Rose know that attendees did use their discount sheets and some shops gave reports of new clients in their stores.

“One business owner noted that without the event, their traffic would have been considerably slower that day compared to what is a typical August Saturday,” Rose continued.

The Small Business Saturday Committee decided to rebrand the event in honor of Sampson Strong, a campaign meant to help businesses in Sampson County gain foot traffic after the effects of COVID-19.

“Many of Sampson County’s small business owners are excited to welcome customers back into their shops after the recent events that occurred due to COVID-19,” Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce director Kiley stated in a past interview. “The Sampson Strong Together Committee, along with local businesses, are excited to move forward with an event that will get customers back into local stores while being able to safely social distance.”

This is the fifth year the Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, Clinton Main Street Program, Sampson Community College Small Business Center and many businesses across the county are coming together to promote shopping local in Sampson County. Clinton split what would normally be 100 tickets at Alfredo’s into two sets of 50 on two separate days. Rose noted that Clinton felt they could handle two separate days.

“In 2020 more than ever, our local retail businesses need support as a result of the impacts of COVID-19,” Rose, who serves as Clinton Main Street Program manager, noted.

Participating businesses who have committed to offering a discount on these shopping dates include:

• Clinton — Annadale’s Gifts & Fine China, Anointed Prints & Crafts, Art of Hope, Atrium Florist & Gifts, Berries & More, Bryant’s Florist & Thee Christian Bookstore, Country Threads, Elizabeth’s Garden […]