Rappahannock Lions launch online shopping service that will benefit county fire & rescue squads
The Rappahannock County Lions Club has inaugurated an innovative on-line shopping service that will generate donations to support Rappahannock County volunteer fire and rescue companies.
Suppose you want to buy a book, some office supplies, spring fashions, outdoor furniture or pet supplies and other goods. If you shop online by going through the Rappahannock Lions website to connect to such retailers as Amazon.com, Office Depot, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, Macy’s or Plow & Hearth, the retailers will donate 4% of the purchase price to the local Lions Club.
The Lions plan to donate 100% of this shopping revenue to the various fire and rescue companies of Rappahannock County, on an equal-share basis.
Jim Blubaugh, who has headed this project for the Lions and is in line to become president of the Club in July, said, “Rappahannock is an extremely giving County, but more and more we are being asked to donate to important causes. This is an easy way for us to support areas that are important to us by doing nothing more than redirecting our shopping habits.”
Here’s how to give a helping hand to the county’s life-saving volunteers when you shop online: Rather than going directly to the retailer’s website, first go to the Rappahannock Lions Club website, rappahannocklions.org.
On the Lions’ home page, click on “Support Our Community,” which brings up a page explaining the shopping program and presenting links to seven national retailers; that will pull up the page explaining the shopping program, along with links to the online retailers. (Or, You can get directly to the shopping page by clicking here.)
The shopping page also includes links to some local retailers who have web sites, though they do not have the capability of national retailers like Amazon to keep track of revenue generated through the Lions program. Blubaugh said the Lions will offer this courtesy listing to all county businesses that have retail websites; local retailers who wish to be listed may contact him at 675-2001.
Blubaugh said it’s impossible to predict how much revenue will be generated for the fire and rescue units, because it depends on shopping volume through the Lions Club site. But he said he believes it’s “not unreasonable” to expect $100,000 worth of retail purchases a year, which would generate $4,000 for the emergency services, and it “could conceivably go much higher.”
“The success of this effort depends on whether Rappahannock County citizens use the site, and whether they continue to use it,” he said.
-- James P. GannonComments
Comment from Paul Komar
Time: May 12, 2008, 7:27 pm
What a great idea of being able to buy on line and help the Fire and Rescue companies raise the funds necessary to keep up with the technological improvements we are required to have to help you in fire and rescue operations. Each company only receives from the county about 40% of the funds required to remain operational. The remaining 60% is through fire and rescue fund raisers and the generous donations of our friends and neighbors. Thank you Lions Club for finding this creative idea to help us help our friends and neighbors.
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