Pete’s Pick: Shop Small This Holiday Season

shop small #optoutside

My favorite thing about this time of year is that everyone seems to slow down just a little bit. The holiday season is a great time to stop, reflect, and truly appreciate the people that make up this community in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.

With that idea in mind, we’re doing something a little different at Roanoke Outside this season. Instead of the traditional holiday gift guide, we’re going to ask you to shop local with us.

This year’s gift guide is a collection of items and experiences, recommended by local shop owners.

But before you start shopping, we hope that you’ll join us Friday, Nov. 25, as we #OptOutside. The initiative, which was started by outdoor brand REI, encourages everyone to spend Black Friday reconnecting with the outdoors.

And there are plenty of ways you can join the #OptOutside movement locally:

Make sure to tag your photos with #OptOutside and #RoanokeOutside on social media.

Then, on Saturday, Nov. 26, start making a dent in your holiday list and Shop Small. It really does make a difference in the community.

Shop and Support

We definitely encourage everyone to support outdoor shops by buying local, but if you can’t find a local store and have to buy online, please consider buying through our online shopping partner: Amazon Smile. When you shop using with Amazon Smile using the Roanoke Outside Foundation as the beneficiary, a portion of the purchase price goes right to support the outdoors right here in the Roanoke Region (and it won’t cost you a thing).

You can also link your Kroger card for another automatic donation through the Kroger Community Rewards program. Here’s how:

  • Visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com (if you already have a Kroger account, just log in)
  • Enter organization number 88409 or Roanoke Outside and confirm
  • Once enrolled, you will see your organization’s name on the right side of your information page (you can see how much you have personally contributed)