The Douglas County Chamber of Commerce today is launching a Buy Local Shop Chamber Member program designed to support community businesses and keep local tax dollars here. The Buy Local campaign begins today in conjunction with the back to school tax holiday (which begins Thursday) and will continue through the Christmas shopping season.

“The idea of a Buy Local campaign came from one of our small business members,” said Kali Boatright, chamber president. “Jerry Leath, owner of the Great Frame Up, suggested the chamber spearhead this type of program during the economic slowdown, and the community media stepped up to really make it happen.”

The Buy Local campaign is a true community collaborative, not just a chamber program. The Douglas County Sentinel, Chapel Hills News and Views and Douglas Neighbor newspaper will work alongside one another along with CITI TV and DCTV23 stations to make sure residents understand how important their tax dollars are to the community.

Members like Extreme Images sign company, Graddick Communications and Elite Advertising have joined the initiative as well.

“Many residents in our community don’t realize that it is their neighbors who are the small business owners here,” said Alan Smith, lcoal resident and owner of Extreme Images. They chose to open their business here because they love this community and want to contribute to its success as they succeed. If we shop outside of our own town, what message does that send?”

The chamber will also promote the initiative with its new blog, www.douglascountychamber.com.

Amber Wilburn, the chamber’s director of communications and community affairs, said the site will soon include testimonials from local business owners and updates about this initiative and other chamber programs and events.

The chamber asks local residents to consider where they spend their dollars each day, whether it be for gas, groceries or goods and services.

“When you buy local, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more community services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development,” Boatright said.

The chamber will host a ribbon cutting at its Buy Local Shop Chamber Member billboard tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. across from the Olive Garden on Douglas Boulevard.

Officials said the public and local businesses are invited to the ribbon cutting and are encouraged to wear red to show their support of the initiative.

After the ribbon cutting, Boatright will be interviewed for CITI TV’s City Connector show, which is filmed before a live audience in the mall, about the By Local effort.

To support the theme, the Sentinel is hosting a Buy Local shopping contest to give readers the opportunity to win $500.

Local businesses will place advertisements this coming Friday and Saturday containing the Buy Local logo and an entry form. Readers can fill out these forms and deliver them to participating businesses for a chance to win.

An advertisement from the Sentinel will publish in its July 30 edition explaining the details in full.

More information about the Buy Local Shop Chamber Member initiative is available by contacting the chamber at 770-942-5022.

Staff writer Bobby Moore contributed to this story.