WAUKESHA – Small Business Saturday is all about supporting our local businesses. But this year in Waukesha, many business owners are giving back that support to the community. Some stores are donating a portion of the proceeds to the United for Waukesha Community Foundation. The Foundation is helping to support victims of the tragedy of the Christmas Parade when a man drove his SUV into the annual parade, killing six people and injuring dozens.
Just outside the front door of the Main Street Burlap and Lace Market is a memorial honoring the victims of last weekend’s parade tragedy. The store is one of the businesses that donates to the community fund this weekend.
“I live in Waukesha for a reason, and I live right in downtown Waukesha,” Burlap and Lace owner Tami Evanoff says of the power of community. “It’s great for us to have our arms around people on Sunday and it feels great to have everyone’s arms around us now.”
The shop sells goods from over 100 mainly local vendors. More than half of those vendors are donating a portion of their proceeds all weekend, 10 to 100 percent, to the community fund.
Hundreds of people came into the store on Saturday, some waiting more than an hour in line not only to support the local store but also to support their community.
Debi Iams is visiting family from Illinois for the weekend and said she’s picked up eight “Waukesha Strong” decorations for sale at the store.
“We all watched with tears in our eyes last week and so this, this is good. I feel very good supporting the people here because they are always nice when we come here,” Iams said. ‘speak.
TMJ4
Each ornament costs $5, and Evanoff says more than $1,000 has been sold to date. She said the producer was at the parade when the incident happened and wanted to help her community recover.
But it’s not just decorations. Pottery, jewelry, “Waukesha Strong” shirts and other items also sold in the store will help the fund.
Evanoff said the generosity she sees inside her store is overwhelming, especially when people donate more and more than they bought.
“Once this weekend is over and I can make it,” Evanoff said with a deep breath, “I think then it’s all going to hit me.”
