Central Washington University student helps Ellensburg Downtown Association launch innovative online campaign to help save downtown before regional retail development arrives
October 31, 2006 (Press Release) --
For Immediate Release November1,2006
For more information contact:
Ellensburg Downtown Association
Timothy Bishop, Executive Director
509-962-6246 timothy@ellensburgdowntown.org
Rural Washington Downtown Looks Online for Help as Regional Retail Appears on the Horizon
Ellensburg based Internet Service Provider, Kvalley Computers and Internet, and Central Washington University student Nicole Evans, are working with the Ellensburg Downtown Association in an innovative effort to raise funds to help revitalize this small central Washington community’s downtown in preparation for the arrival of large regional retail development on the outskirts of town.
With the City’s proposed comprehensive plan update indicating that 50 acres near the Interstate will soon be rezoned for regional retail development, the Ellensburg Downtown Association is preparing for the monumental task of revitalizing an already struggling Downtown. A fledgling organization with a limited budget to accomplish the task, the Ellensburg Downtown association is looking for help in an innovative place, online. Kvalley Computers and Internet, a locally based ISP helped develop the organization’s fundraising website www.savedowntown.org that will launch November 1st. “What savedowntown does is create an opportunity for anyone online to make a small donation of as little as $10 to help the EDA revitalize our Downtown.” according to Kvalley owner Chris Schmidt. “In return they can post their name, home town and a link to their business or personal website on to this site.”
For Central Washington University, student Nicole Evans, the challenge was equally as exciting. She got involved to help market the site. Usually you have a town that’s already been revitalized using the Internet to market itself as a destination, here you have this small organization using the Internet to help revitalize our community.” “With virtually no budget for marketing this is an opportunity to really explore the marketing potential of the Internet and other non traditional mediums.”
Timothy Bishop the association’s Executive Director since August is optimistic. “I have never seen a Board or a community this enthusiastic about revitalizing their Downtown. The savedowntown.org website gives them a chance to share that enthusiasm with everyone on their contacts list.” Bishop added that the fundraising effort itself has been a great team building experience for Downtown merchants to work together. “D&M coffee offered to put the website on their coffee cups, other businesses are handing out stickers with the website and have signs reading “”Ask me about www.savedowntown.org “” People are calling the office everyday asking how can I help?“
The Ellensburg Downtown Association is a local non profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Ellensburg’s downtown using the Main Street four point approach to Downtown revitalization. Bishop was recruited earlier this year after overseeing the revitalization of Walla Walla’s downtown for the last decade.
For more information contact the Ellensburg Downtown Association at 509-962-6246 or log onto www.savedowntown.org
For more information contact:
Ellensburg Downtown Association
Timothy Bishop, Executive Director
509-962-6246 timothy@ellensburgdowntown.org
Rural Washington Downtown Looks Online for Help as Regional Retail Appears on the Horizon
Ellensburg based Internet Service Provider, Kvalley Computers and Internet, and Central Washington University student Nicole Evans, are working with the Ellensburg Downtown Association in an innovative effort to raise funds to help revitalize this small central Washington community’s downtown in preparation for the arrival of large regional retail development on the outskirts of town.
With the City’s proposed comprehensive plan update indicating that 50 acres near the Interstate will soon be rezoned for regional retail development, the Ellensburg Downtown Association is preparing for the monumental task of revitalizing an already struggling Downtown. A fledgling organization with a limited budget to accomplish the task, the Ellensburg Downtown association is looking for help in an innovative place, online. Kvalley Computers and Internet, a locally based ISP helped develop the organization’s fundraising website www.savedowntown.org that will launch November 1st. “What savedowntown does is create an opportunity for anyone online to make a small donation of as little as $10 to help the EDA revitalize our Downtown.” according to Kvalley owner Chris Schmidt. “In return they can post their name, home town and a link to their business or personal website on to this site.”
For Central Washington University, student Nicole Evans, the challenge was equally as exciting. She got involved to help market the site. Usually you have a town that’s already been revitalized using the Internet to market itself as a destination, here you have this small organization using the Internet to help revitalize our community.” “With virtually no budget for marketing this is an opportunity to really explore the marketing potential of the Internet and other non traditional mediums.”
Timothy Bishop the association’s Executive Director since August is optimistic. “I have never seen a Board or a community this enthusiastic about revitalizing their Downtown. The savedowntown.org website gives them a chance to share that enthusiasm with everyone on their contacts list.” Bishop added that the fundraising effort itself has been a great team building experience for Downtown merchants to work together. “D&M coffee offered to put the website on their coffee cups, other businesses are handing out stickers with the website and have signs reading “”Ask me about www.savedowntown.org “” People are calling the office everyday asking how can I help?“
The Ellensburg Downtown Association is a local non profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Ellensburg’s downtown using the Main Street four point approach to Downtown revitalization. Bishop was recruited earlier this year after overseeing the revitalization of Walla Walla’s downtown for the last decade.
For more information contact the Ellensburg Downtown Association at 509-962-6246 or log onto www.savedowntown.org
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