Small Business Bingo with Peekskill shops

By Regina Clarkin

December 12, 2023

When the Saturday after Thanksgiving became known as Small Business Saturday in 2010, (to counter Black Friday shopping extravaganza) the concept spread. In 2023, local entrepreneur Alina Rendina put her own spin on the idea and created a Holiday Bingo Game for Peekskill businesses.

The goal of the game is to pick up a Bingo card at various locations in town and visit the businesses, purchase something inexpensive while gaining a stamp on your card from the business. When you’ve received five stamps you’ve got BINGO. The first five people to get BINGO will get a prize. In order to play, you must register using the QR code on the back of the card.

Business participating are: Jo’s Body Shop, Dylan’s Wine Cellar, Fuhgeddaboudit Deli, Slainte, Wellness Central the business Rendina and her husband own) Third Eye Arts, Persephone’s Pearl, Abbeaute Studio, Gleasons, Handmade by Fabiola, Whadafunk, Stark Vintage, Poe Florals, Kait Rose Spa, Bucko, Blondery, Forest Bath, Peekskill Coffee House, Body Axis Studio, Kathryn Duffy Acupuncture, PranaMoon Yoga, Lile Boutique Spa, Iron Health.

The goal for Rendina is to encourage people to explore the businesses in Peekskill that they may have not known about. Some of the participants don’t have a brick and mortar shop but run a business nonetheless and sell their products online.

For small business owners, their business is not just a business — it’s an extension of who they are. Supporting the local businesses within your community not only keeps those businesses alive, but keeps the communities they serve thriving, as well, as explained in the Farm Bureau of Financial Services.

When people shop locally it affects the entire community. When more money is spent at local stores, more money stays within the community. For every dollar spent at a small business, 67 cents stays within your local economy. In addition to helping schools and other organizations through taxes, small businesses are also often the organizations that support local sports teams, charities and events. Plus, local retailers are more likely to hire locally than retail chains.

About the Contributor

Regina Clarkin, Editor and Publisher

When the Peekskill Herald weekly newspaper ceased publishing in August 2000 it was the first time in the history of the city that there wasn’t a local newspaper. The award-winning weekly was often referred to as the ‘glue’ of the community. Founded on January 9, 1986 by Regina Clarkin, Kathy Daley and Rich Zahradnik with a $7,000 credit card line, the paper filled the void created when the daily Evening Star was sold to Gannett and moved out of town. Founding publisher Regina Clarkin continued to live in the Peekskill Cortlandt area and turned her attention to other life endeavors. Through the ensuing 19 years, Clarkin was frequently stopped in town and asked when she would start up the Herald again. In January 2019, Clarkin decided it was less labor intensive to deliver a weekly blog than a print newspaper so she began posting one story a week about life in Peekskill. After a successful crowd funding campaign in 2020, the Herald was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in July of 2021. Peekskill Herald is a digital relative of the former print edition, featuring many of the favorite aspects of the beloved Peekskill Herald such as old pictures, personality profiles and well written stories about newsworthy events. Regina Clarkin is the editor and publisher of the site. Photo by Joe Squillante