Spring Community Day a natural for Central Street shoppers

Shoppers on Central Street did not have to spend extra to support local organizations on Saturday during Spring Community Day, where 25 participating businesses donated 10 – 20 % of their sales to 11 organizations and nonprofits.
  

The day’s set-up proved to be successful as a whole, Todd Rupenthal, co-owner of Happy Husky Bakery and president of Central Street Business Association, said. The participating organizations “did the legwork” by advertising for businesses, businesses gained more customers and then customers would choose which organization to support as they made their purchases throughout the day.
   Marilyn Price, an Evanston resident who was shopping during Community Day, said she agreed that participating supporting local organizations was easy because Central Street is already such a natural shopping hotspot.
   “Central Street is such a unique combination of stores; they all build off each other,” Price said. “There’s nothing you can’t get here.”
   Community Day was sponsored by Central Street Business Association and Central Street Neighbors Association and helped to benefit various local organizations, such as Haven Middle School PTA and Evanston Public Library Friends. This was the second Community Day organized by Central Street Business Association; the first was held in fall 2011.
   Bogdan Rogalski, owner of Oliver’s Trains & Toys, a new toy store on Central Street, said his business benefited benefitted from Community Day and the shopper-friendly location of Central Street overall.
   “One of the reasons we opened the toy store was because a spot opened on Central Street,” Rogalski said. “It’s the best shopping location in Evanston; I couldn’t ask for a better place.”