Chamber revamps 'Bucks' promo

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce has revamped its Chamber Bucks program to make the gift certificates easier to use and more attractive to gift-givers.

Chamber Bucks are ideal to give because of the wide variety of businesses that participate in the program. Businesses especially like to give Chamber Bucks to their employees as they keep the spending local with chamber member businesses.

With the changes, there will be even more businesses able to process Chamber Bucks. They are actual checks that can be used for goods and services at any member location, but cannot be cashed or deposited into a personal checking account, although they can be used to make loan payments to chamber-member banks.

They come in $5, $10, and $25 denominations and expire one year from date of purchase.

Participation in the Chamber Bucks program is included in chamber dues at no additional charge, and merchants will process them just like they would process any personal check.

Chamber Bucks can be purchased by calling the chamber office at (308) 345-3200. When Chamber Bucks are purchased, a member directory will be provided so that the purchaser knows which business are chamber members that can redeem the certificates. Chamber members were also provided with a display that identifies them as capable of accepting Chamber Bucks.

According to Executive Director Tacie Fawver, there were 583 gift certificates totaling $11,760 purchased in the past fiscal year'