Rec Sports
OPINION: Buying local is a Christmas gift twice
As I see it, I’m Jason Spangler.
This time of year, it’s easy to let the big online retailers do our Christmas shopping for us. A couple clicks, a brown box shows up, and that’s that.
But when you walk into a local shop in La Crosse, something different happens. The owner asks about your kids. A clerk remembers what you bought last year. The baker throws in an extra cookie because they know your usual order.
Buying local is a Christmas gift twice. Once to the person who opens it, and once to the family whose lights stay on because you chose their store.
Yeah, it might cost a little more than the rock-bottom online deal. But those extra dollars come back as youth sports sponsorships, community festivals, and another year of your favorite storefronts still glowing on a dark winter afternoon.
When we shop local, we’re really saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to our whole community.