Contest encourages support for restaurants, businesses

The city of Avon launched a new initiative to provide support for small businesses still open in the community.

Mayor Bryan Jensen announced March 30 the city would launch the Avon Passport Program to keep residents informed about all the restaurants and businesses that are open with hopes to drive support during this difficult time.

City Council is offering incentives to residents to shop at local restaurants, where residents will be entered to win one of 100 prizes.

Collect receipts from restaurant purchases and keep them with the passport.

The city will collect them at the appropriate time with winners announced at allaboutavon.org.

Jensen thanked the community for their compassion and support for each other in the wake of the unprecedented global health pandemic with novel coronavirus.

“This has been a very trying time for our nation and our community,” he said. “What I have always loved about the residents and businesses of Avon, is that we support each other.

“During these past few weeks, I have seen neighbors helping neighbors, people bringing meals to our hardworking first responders and residents donating Girl Scout cookies to medical professionals. I’ve seen organizations making medical masks, so our doctors and nurses are protected, and countless other acts of kindness.

“It makes me so proud to be a resident and your mayor.”

The Avon Senior Center put out a call for food donations to assemble care packages and the mayor said the community rallied to the cause.

“Your generosity knows no limits,” he said. “Now, I ask you to continue to support the backbone of our special city, our small businesses.”

Avon announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 24.