Garo Danayan learned what it’s like to have an extra $1,000 to spend at Christmas on Wednesday.
“It’s already spent,” he joked. The Huntington Woods resident won the top prize, a $1,000 check, by entering Oakland County’s annual Local Gems contest. For the third year, the county’s economic development department invited people to take selfies at local businesses and share the images with the county to enter a random drawing for cash prizes. Genisys Credit Union supplied the cash.
More than 1,000 people submitted contest entries from some of the county’s estimated 35,000 small businesses.
Danayan took his selfie at a Ferndale gift store, The Rocket, where Local Gem winners were announced on Wednesday.
The Rocket’s owner, Eli Morrissey, said he was grateful for people who spend money locally and have supported his shop for 12 years.
“We need to save our brick-and-mortar businesses,” Morrissey said. “They are the character of our communities … I appreciate the support so much.”
Bret Rasegan of Rochester Hills won $500 for his selfie at McCauley Chiropractic in Rochester and Julie Decker of Oak Park won $250 with her selfie at The Vintage Farmhouse in Holly.
County Executive Dave Coulter said he was very proud of small businesses for all they do to support the community.”
Small businesses, he said, “give back to the community in a way Amazon never could.”