JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Chamber) – The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce another record-breaking year for the Loyal to Local Passport Program, encouraging residents to shop local during the holiday season.

Designed to keep dollars circulating in the community, the annual program challenged participants to spend at least $250 at participating local businesses per passport. Shoppers were encouraged to complete multiple passports, increasing their chances to win prizes while driving additional local spending.

This year, more than 1,000 passports were turned in, with hundreds reaching the $250 spending threshold to be considered completed. These passports tracked $276,910 spent locally across 83 participating businesses with more than $10,000 in prizes donated by area businesses.

“This program continues to show just how much our community values local businesses,” said Emily Bivens, Executive Director of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce. “Whether someone turned in one passport or several, every purchase made a difference. The collective impact of this program is something our entire community can be proud of.”
While the tracked totals highlight significant local spending, Bivens notes that the true economic impact is likely even higher. “We know many participants spent more locally than what was recorded on their passports,” added Bivens. “Loyal to Local is about more than prizes. It’s about choosing local businesses during the busiest shopping season of the year and helping our community thrive.”

The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce extends its sincere thanks to all participating businesses, prize donors, and shoppers who helped make this year’s Loyal to Local Passport Program another success.