Area residents now have the opportunity to get a good deal while at the same time supporting local businesses that have taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A gift card program offered by the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance makes that possible, The program is called Love Local.

Through that program, people can buy a gift card worth $35 to be used at select local businesses. But thanks to the support of some financial institutions, those gift cards will only cost the buyer $25.

Availa Bank, Citizens Community Credit Union, GreenState Credit Union and Peoples Credit Union are making that deal possible.

The cards can be used at 25 businesses. The complete list is on the Growth Alliance’s web site, www.greaterfortdodge.com.

The cards are good through Dec. 31.

But to get one, people have to move fast. Only 25 cards a week are sold on the alliance’s web site. The next sale of gift cards will begin at 10 a.m. Monday. After 25 cards are purchased, the sale is over for the week.

The program was the idea of Jill Nelson, the alliance’s community development director.

As local businesses work to get their footing in an economy changed by a virus pandemic, they could use some support from people throughout the Fort Dodge area. The gift card initaitive provides a way for people to do just that. As the program’s name implies, it’s a way to show those businesses some love.

We encourage everyone to take advantage of Love Local by buying some gift cards