The Demopolis Area Business Council and the Demopolis City Schools Foundation are hosting a shop local campaign that gives Demopolis area shoppers a chance to win prizes this Christmas season.

From Thursday, Nov. 21 through Thursday, Dec. 19, people who spend at least $25 at a local business can take a photo of their receipt and post it to the DABC Facebook page or email it to demopbusiness@gmail.com to be entered into the contest.

Weekly drawings will be held each Friday morning from Nov. 29 to Dec. 20 for $100 gift certificates to local businesses. On Dec. 20, there will be grand prize drawings for an iPad, a Jawbone Jambox and more gift certificates. There is no limit on the number of entries, and winning a weekly drawing does not exclude someone from the grand prize drawing.

“We want people to understand how important it is to shop in the Demopolis area,” said DABC secretary Jay Reynolds. “We want to make people aware that shopping local really does have an impact on the area.”

More than $2.7 million of the Demopolis City Schools annual budget comes from local tax dollars, and 15 teacher and staff salaries are paid each year through local sales tax.

More than $825,000 has been donated to the Demopolis City Schools Foundation endowment from local businesses and the citizens these businesses employ.

Amanda Barnes, executive director of the DCSF, said a large part of what they do is because of small businesses.

“Most of what we do can be attributed to small businesses in this area,” Barnes said. “We want to support the businesses that support us.”

Anyone who shops in cities and towns outside Demopolis, but still in the area such as Linden and Livingston, are also eligible to enter the contest.

The deadline to enter the contest is midnight Friday, Dec. 20.