The city of Hurricane started a campaign called “Get Blown Away” to promote the benefits of supporting their local economy by shopping locally.  Business owner ,Cliff Holt of Market Pharmacy and Hurricane Family Pharmacy wanted to try and build upon that campaign by educating his employees as well as his customers and patients about supporting locally owned businesses on the east side of Washington County.  He ordered 2000 $2.00 bills from his bank.  He then gave each of his employees 100 of the bills with specific instructions on how they must be spent.  First, they must be spent as cash, not deposited in an account.  Ten percent must be given to a charity of their choice.  They must be spent at a locally owned business in the towns on the east side of the county.  All of the money must be spent within 30 days.  And finally, if anyone asks about what is up with the 2 dollar bills, they must explain the program.

“I wanted to help my employees, help locally owned businesses and hopefully encourage other business owners and leaders in our community,” Holt said.  “We have incredible people working for us and supporting our pharmacies in (Hurricane and LaVerkin).  It is important to differentiate between a local business and a locally owned business.  A corporate owned store like Wal-Mart and Walgreens send all of their profits to their headquarters in Arkansas and Illinois each night.  A locally owned business keeps all money in the local economy.  “We live here, our kids go to school here and every dollar stays here in Washington County. The national companies can’t say that. If we are going to have strong cities and towns we need strong locally owned businesses.”

That is where the $2.00 bills come in.  “I only receive 1 or 2 $2.00 bills a month in my pharmacies,” said Holt.  “By using these uncommon bills, we can see if our program is working. We hope other local businesses who receive them will in turn give them as change, and maybe request some of their own from the bank. We ask that the citizens of our community spend them at another locally owned business,” 

Two bucks does not go very far these days, but it may just keep locally owned businesses alive…$2.00 at a time.