Los Alamos Chamber Announces 2021 Blue Bucks Winners

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on December 16, 2021
- 9:53 am

Windgate Healing Arts Owner Bethany Bundy wins $1,000 for being the business that gave out the grand prize-winning ticket to a shopper in the Enterprise Bank & Trust Blue Bucks Raffle. Courtesy/Chamber

2021 Gift Bag winner Shelby Michel who shopped at Pet Pangaea. Courtesy/Chamber

CHAMBER/MainStreet News:

The holiday shopping season kicked off Nov. 27 in Los Alamos and White Rock with Small Business Saturday. This year, a few lucky shoppers also won big in the Enterprise Bank & Trust Blue Bucks Raffle.

The program is designed to incentivize shopping locally and offers shoppers a chance to win cash prizes and gift cards to participating businesses.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Blue Bucks Raffle promotion was organized by the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce and Los Alamos MainStreet and sponsored by Enterprise Bank & Trust. Blue Bucks raffle tickets were given out by participating businesses for each minimum purchase of $10 from Nov. 20 through Dec. 11.

More than 12,200 tickets were returned for the raffle.

The grand prize winner of the drawing is Pema Tamang, who received the winning ticket while shopping at Windgate Healing Arts, which also won $1,000 for giving away the winning ticket.

The $500 winner is Diana Linn, who received her winning ticket at Yoga with Jacci.

The two $250 winners are Holly Trellue, who received her winning ticket from Pet Pangaea and Greg Juerling, who received his winning ticket from Yoga with Jacci.

The drawing on Tuesday also was for six gift bags, each containing approximately $500 in gift certificates or merchandise from participating businesses.

Gift Bag Winners:

Elaine Drees, who shopped at Petree Garden Center & Florist;
Shelby Michel, who shopped at Pet Pangaea;
Phil Garcia, who dined at El Parasol;
Natalie Dimitruck, who shopped at The Karen Wray Gallery;
Holly Garcia, who dined at Boese Bros Brewpub; and
A shopper at Petree Garden Center who preferred to remain anonymous.

“It was actually a client who first told us we won the raffle, and it was such a wonderful surprise for us,” said Bethany Bundy, owner of Windgate Healing Arts, which gave away the grand prize-winning ticket. “We truly feel honored to serve our incredibly unique community, and we want to thank our clients and especially our members who have grown with us from our little two room suite to our new wellness center, all during a pandemic. The Blue Bucks Raffle wouldn’t have been possible without the Chamber of Commerce and the event sponsor, Enterprise Bank & Trust. We are so appreciative of all their work to support local businesses. It’s been a privilege to serve Los Alamos these past 5 years and we look forward to many more.”

Small Business Saturday is an annual celebration in conjunction with the national promotion started by American Express to support local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Started in Los Alamos in 2010 by Cyndi Wells, owner of Pet Pangaea, the event has grown over the years. In 2020 Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC) won a Bronze Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for the Small Business Saturday Blue Bucks Raffle Promotion in the “Innovative Programs and Initiatives” category.

“Thank you again to Enterprise Bank & Trust for sponsoring Small Business Saturday and the Blue Bucks promotion for the fourth year in a row,” Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann said. “Many of our local businesses let us know that Small Business Saturday truly helps their bottom line. So, thank you to all who participated in the Blue Bucks promotion. Supporting our small businesses and shopping local really does make a difference to our community.”

About Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation (LACDC)

Los Alamos MainStreet and the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce are programs of Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation, a private, not-for-profit economic and community development organization. LACDC serves as the umbrella organization for the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, Los Alamos MainStreet, Discover Los Alamos, Los Alamos Small Business Center, projectY cowork Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Research Park.

2021 Gift Bag winner Phil Garcia who dined at El Parasol. Courtesy/Chamber