ALTON - Katie McBee and Trish Holmes of the RiverBend Growth Association had an idea to rally people together at Alton Square Mall for a Take A Lap For Alton event and it was a big success.
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The walk started at 4:30 p.m. and ended at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Alton Square Mall.
The walk was to serve as a spark for votes in the final hours for voting in the Small Business Revolution - Main Street series competition, and Alton area leaders are urging everyone to cast votes for #MyAlton.
#MyAlton is one of the Small Business Revolution top five towns in the running for season three of the series to battle for the top position. Each year, the series invests as much as $500,000 into a community and as many as six small businesses within it. That investment goes toward both marketing and business development.
Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club offered a Piasa Bird pin for participants and the Cookie Factory provided a free coupon for those taking part after they take the lap around the top of Alton Square Mall. McBee advised people beforehand to wear their Alton or local organization shirt in the walk.
“We are trying to get as many walkers and hand out pins to remind people that today is our last day of voting,” McBee said at the mall. “We want to see Alton win to get recognition for the amazing community we have.”
Sarah McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street, said today: "Alton is currently 'in the lead' to be featured on the reality show called Small Business Revolution and win a $500,000 revitalization grant for our small businesses, but we can't let up now because there have been upsets in the final days in past seasons. Please vote from every email address you have by 8 p.m. today - the results will be announced the afternoon of Feb 27th (details of the Watch Party will be announced soon)."
John Roberts, board president of the RiverBend Growth Association said, “It says a lot about how strong we are when we work together,” commenting about the campaign’s end push.
Katie McBee said the Take A Lap For Alton event was a huge success and is further testimony how the area shows up and supports a common cause of bettering the community,” she said. McBee is program facilitator of the Riverbend CEO program.
Alton Mayor Brant Walker said it has been “phenomenal” how people from Alton and throughout the country have pulled together to keep Alton at the top so far of the vote totals.
Walker said Alton was closely followed by Bastrop, Texas, then comes Amesbury, Mass., Siloam Springs, Ark., and Martinez, Calif., so every vote today counts.
“Today is the last day for voting and we were told on Monday we are in a dead heat with Bastrop, Texas, so every vote counts," he said. “This has been a fun week in the city. This recognition shows all the hard work of businesses and people in the community. It shows what a big turnaround we have had in the city.”
Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick also participated in the Take A Lap For Alton event. He is a mall walker, so it was a natural thing, and his wife, Linda, was a participant passing out free cookies from the Cookie Factory. He also sees the importance of Alton and Godfrey working together.
"Katie McBee and Trish Holmes started working on this last night and had a group walking out here at the mall in support of the Take A Lap For Alton event. There was a really nice crowd here. Part of the whole reason I support it as you have heard me say numerous time is my saying "As Alton goes, Godfrey goes and as Godfrey goes, Alton goes.
"They are two separate communities, but we are dependent upon each other. An example recently was how we helped out with cameras on the bridge. Years back, we helped financially with the Alton Fireworks display until we got ours and now that is wonderful for the village. My wife's business, the Cookie Factory, has been here for 39 years. She was here handing out cookies to everyone who participated."
Votes can be cast once a day per email address at https://www.deluxe.com/small-business-revolution/main-street/season-three and voting will continue through 8 p.m Tuesday, Feb. 20.
Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.
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