Rugby shoppers used to receiving scratch-and-win tickets from local merchants during the Christmas shopping season will get something new when they make their purchases this year.

Merchants are distributing neon green “Dash for Cash ’18-’19” tickets, each bearing the Rugby Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors’ Bureau logo and a number, which will be entered in drawings next year for Rugby Bucks prizes.

Rugby Chamber/CVB Executive Director Darylanna Durkee told the Tribune the new promotion came about after a survey of local business owners.

“We really talked about whether (the scratch and win promotion) was benefitting their business the way they had hoped or not,” Durkee said. “So, we kind of landed on something that would be very effective, and streamlined, and fast, and simple for our cashiers and our people at the till at our local businesses. Because we get long lines, and sometimes, trying to fill out your name and address and phone number (for claiming prizes) can take up a little bit more time than we want to at the till,” Durkee explained.

“So, in order to keep all of our customers and participants happy, we came up with a thing where you take off a ticket, and you (the customer) keep it, and we do a raffle-style lottery drawing. And there are 7 chances to win $250 in Rugby Bucks,” Durkee added.

Durkee said the 7-week drawing period begins January 8, and ends February 19.

“We will call out the (winning) number we’ll advertise it on Facebook, Twitter, on our Rugby Chamber Instagram; also in the Tribune,” she said, ” and it will be on a live broadcast with KZZJ. So, there will be quite a few avenues to find out if you have the lucky winning number.”

Words printed on top of the green coupons urge holders to “keep this ticket”, and Durkee stressed the same thing.

“If we have a lot of unclaimed tickets if people are losing track of their tickets and nobody claims those winnings, we will do some kind of other giveaway. We won’t just pocket that money. We will be giving away $1750 total in Rugby Bucks,” Durkee said.

Durkee said merchants like using Rugby Bucks to keep consumer spending local.

“Those Rugby Bucks can only be spent in participating businesses that have the Rugby Bucks program,” she said. “So, that money stays in our community. It can’t go to any other town; it can’t be spent on Amazon that money stays local.”