Shopkeepers for Schools: An Extra Credit Event!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, then Skirt Boutique out of Philadelphia should be flattered. As soon as I heard about the amazing school fundraising event she does, I knew we had to recreate it. I also knew that she has a big fan of Elizabeth Todd. So, I immediately texted Elizabeth and warned her that I was planning to do it. She texted right back, telling me that she and her sister, Rebecca, were just talking about it. Great minds think alike! Because we love any good chance to give back to our community, we decided to join forces for the first ever Shopkeepers for Schools: An Extra Credit Event!This event is super simple. From May 19 to 26, Red Barn Mercantile, Penny Post, The Hive, and The Shoe Hive will be donating 10 percent of your sale to your favorite local Alexandria school. How does it work? Easy. Using your school’s newsletter and take-home folders (assuming those are still a thing), tell everyone at your school to shop that week and mention the school at checkout or in the notes section on our websites. Tell all your friends and family to do their shopping with us as well. Treat yourself to something wonderful or by a gift for a grad or dad. Then, ring the school bell (at the stores, not at the school, of course) to show your school pride. Finally, enjoy writing thank you notes from Penny Post and drinking cocktails made from the supplies found at Red Barn Mercantile, all while wearing your new spring outfit from The Hive and The Shoe Hive. Honestly, it’s a win for you, a win for us, and most importantly, a win for the kids!To make it an even bigger win, we are adding additional incentives. First, the school that raises the most money will receive an additional 10 percent! Be it public or private, pre-k to high school, your school can be on the leaderboard. Second, we will be making a matching donation of the winning school’s totals to an educational cause. For our inaugural year, we will be donating to The Scholarship Fund for Alexandria to support those high school seniors who need extra help going on to higher education. So, it’s really a win/win/win/win!We have materials you can share with your PTAs to spread the word or use for your own network. Simply fill out this form, and we will send you what you need to make this event as successful as possible. Look for updates on our Instagram pages here, here, and here to see which school gets the matching donation!