With the intention of helping local businesses during the pandemic, the new “Local Power” brand makes fun of an otherwise dramatic situation, in the well known Seeker Positive Way.

“It is necessary, now more than ever, to keep laughing,” says Mai-Liis Renaud, co-owner of the Seeker News Magazine in Cornwall, Ontario. “We all have pandemic fatigue and I can’t think of a better way to cheer myself up than by poking fun at Covid while helping my community.”

The concept is simple. Patrons buy an item and $5 of each sale goes to a monthly draw, in which they are automatically entered.

“The winners will be asked which store or restaurant they want to support, and we will purchase a gift card in the amount accumulated throughout the month as the prize, ” said Julia Lucio, the second owner, who came up with the idea after a similar initiative launched a few weeks ago in support of artists. “We wanted to do this on a larger scale.  There is just one catch.  Winners have to select  a gift card from a small local business.”

“It just makes sense,” continues Renaud. “With all the lockdowns, small businesses have be hit so hard.  Part of our moto is ‘local supporting local’ here at the Seeker. So this initiative helps us help fulfill our mission statement and helps local in many ways. It puts a smile on people’s faces. Our items are all tongue-in-cheek and very funny. It also gives everybody who buys an item a chance at a monthly, hopefully substantial, grand prize, and it helps several local businesses. It’s a win-win-win.”

“If the pot goes above $100,” continues Lucio, “we will draw two winners and help two businesses and so on so forth. The more support the community offers, the more we can help. Our items are all reasonably priced.   VersaCore Tech Design, my other business and print broker company is providing the items to the Seeker at cost, so more money can go to small businesses.  And please note that if you don’t find anything that clicks, we can absolutely customize the items to say whatever it is you want them to say.”

From t-shirts bearing “Unmute Me” or “Not Today, Covid”, to masks saying “It goes over the nose, see?”, apparel come in a variety of colour and sizes. You can purchase your item online at https://theseeker.ca/product-category/local-power-by-the-seeker-collection/ and for custom orders, send an email to info@theseeker.ca