REV Birmingham’s Great Receipt Race – sponsored by Poole and Co., Verizon, Bham Now and iHeart Radio – is back this holiday season to spur support for local retailers and restaurants.

“2020 has been a challenging year for businesses – especially small businesses,” said Rob Buddo, REV’s city center district manager. “The holiday season provides an opportunity for our small business ecosystem to make up some ground and build momentum going into 2021. The goal of the Great Receipt Race Holiday Edition will be to drive customers to support businesses they previously may have not been familiar with through lots of local storytelling.”

Erin LeAnn Mitchell’s poster for REV Birmingham’s Great Receipt Race. (REV Birmingham)

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, shoppers can play the Great Receipt Race for chances to win gift cards from local businesses. To get started, participants should text RACE to 267-TEXTREV (267-839-8738). They will automatically receive instructions to submit proof of all their local purchases through New Year’s Eve.

Receipts must be from businesses within the city of Birmingham that are not nationally franchised. Each receipt submitted is a chance to win. Winners are randomly selected each week from those who text receipts. Each week, one winner will receive $100 in gift cards to a local business (or split among up to four local businesses) of their choice.

Whether a local business is operating online, curbside, delivery or in person, the Great Receipt Race allows the business and its customers to participate. REV is distributing limited print marketing materials for the Great Receipt Race, including a poster featuring a Birmingham artist’s take on shopping local. Erin LeAnn Mitchell painted a colorful, shopping bag-laden receipt runner traversing the city to help REV promote the holiday initiative.

REV initially launched the Great Receipt Race for a monthlong run in August. Participants submitted more than 400 receipts totaling more than $24,000 spent at Birmingham businesses. In an effort to encourage more local spending as people do their holiday shopping, the nonprofit decided to relaunch a holiday edition of the race.

All businesses within Birmingham city limits that are not nationally franchised are invited to promote the Great Receipt Race by encouraging their customers in person and via social media to participate. REV will share Great Receipt Race updates regularly on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more at revbirmingham.org/playtherace.