Rangely holiday vouchers up by 10 percent this year

RANGELY I Rangely’s fifth annual Shop ‘N’ Dine program, which ran through the month of November and ended Dec. 2, gave out approximately 10 percent more in voucher dollars than the amount distributed at last year’s event, Rangely Town Manager Peter Brixius said Friday.
The program, which aims to attract shoppers to spend money in local businesses and increase in-town sales during the holiday shopping season, offers $5 vouchers for every $50 spent in Rangely, with participants turning in up to $300 in receipts for $30 vouchers.
Receipts from gas, cigarettes and pharmaceuticals are not eligible, Brixius said.
This year, he said, Rangely Town Hall distributed approximately $10,500 to 440 participants.
“The program seemed to be going more slowly throughout the month, although that can be hard to track,” Brixius said. “But in the last few days (of Shop ‘N’ Dine), 60 to 65 percent of the total number of vouchers came through.”
In past years, some residents have misunderstood the program’s requirement that voucher dollars be both collected and spent by the end of the month, he said.
This year, Brixius said, people seemed to better understand the Shop ‘N’ Dine guidelines. Many participants also took advantage of a couple of extra days to spend vouchers given the Thanksgiving holiday falling so late in the month, on Nov. 28.