EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.

This week the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce – in partnership with the City of Tukwila – announced an update to its Southside Promise as part of the Southside Mitigation and Recovery Taskforce (SMART), with new cash incentives.

The chamber is now offering the chance to apply for up to $1,000 in cash assistance to the program—which is free and open to all businesses—for each participating business from its Southside Strong Fund. The application for cash assistance is included in the general Southside Promise application.

All Promise Takers are automatically entered to win a $1,000 cash prize, just for taking the promise! Businesses that refer another business will receive an additional chance to win that $1,000 cash prize for each business that lists them as an answer to the question: “How did you hear about the Promise?” Odds of winning depend on the number of participating businesses. Winners will be chosen by December 18th, so don’t wait—take the Promise today!

The Southside Promise is an outreach initiative that provides businesses with tools and resources to reopen successfully after weathering the human and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes access to SMART’s Reopening Toolkit and Safe Start Kits as well as inclusion in a robust marketing and promotion campaign. The goal of the campaign is to assist Southside businesses and then to draw tourists and members of our community to those businesses, all while remaining committed to public health.

Updates to the program include the following benefits:

All Southside business are encouraged to take the Southside Promise and can learn more or sign up in 10 minutes or less here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/southsidepromise

“Businesses throughout the region are hurting due to COVID-19 and its associated economic impacts,” noted Allan Ekberg, Tukwila Mayor. “I want to thank the Chamber for their leadership and assistance during these challenging times. Tukwila is excited to partner with the Chamber on Southside Promise.”

The Southside Promise campaign joins the ranks of SMART promotions, such as…

For updates on SMART, stay tuned to the S.M.A.R.T. webpage and follow the Seattle Southside Chamber on their social pages @SeaSouthChamber.

The Seattle Southside Chamber has opportunities available for partnership to serve and support the community through S.M.A.R.T. and encourage donations to the fund and taskforce so that they can do more to help the community. Individuals and businesses can contribute on the Southside Strong Fund webpage or they can contact the Chamber for more information.

About the Southside Mitigation And Recovery Taskforce
SMART is a public/private taskforce, led by the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, that strives to find real solutions to the challenges our community faces as we confront the human and economic impacts of COVID-19. As the taskforce works to deliver initiatives and campaigns that help support and encourage a quick recovery to the local business community, it is focused on 3 main objects: Advocacy, Support, and Marketing and Promotion.

About the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
The Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit business organization that has served the communities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila since 1988.  The Chamber focuses on business advancement in the region by helping to build and maintain a strong economic environment.

About the City of Tukwila
Incorporated in 1908, the City of Tukwila is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, with more than 80 languages spoken in the Tukwila School District.  While 20,000 people call Tukwila home, during the day Tukwila becomes one of Washington State’s largest cities, with more than 150,000 people coming into the city daily to work, shop, play, and dine. Long at the center of commerce in Washington State, Tukwila is home to many well-known businesses such as Boeing, BECU, Top Pot Donuts, Seattle Chocolates, Rainier Industries, The Seattle Seawolves, and Seattle Sounders FC train at Starfire Sports. Tukwila is also a retail powerhouse; home to the largest shopping center in the Pacific Northwest, Tukwila generates $2.5 billion in taxable retail sales annually.