With all non-essential stores closed indefinitely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many small business owners are facing intense stress and uncertainty over the future of their businesses.
But for Newmarket native and small business owner Tonya Wilkinson, now is not the time to lose hope. Eager to increase morale for business owners and shoppers alike, Wilkinson has organized a 27-location scavenger hunt scattered throughout Newmarket, Bradford, Aurora, and Holland Landing to support local businesses and provide everyone an opportunity to have fun while social distancing safely.
With a bursting basket of local goodies to be awarded to five contestants who find all 27 of the stops as a prize, it’s safe to say the response to Wilkinson’s hunt has been enthusiastic.
“The response so far has been very good,” said Wilkinson. “We’ve already had 24 people complete the scavenger hunt, and there’s many more who have registered.”
Wilkinson’s idea to hold a local scavenger hunt came mid-April, when she noticed the social media posts of the local stores she followed becoming increasingly downtrodden and diminished.
As the owner of UNA Fashion Stylist, a small personal styling and shopping business, she’s intimately familiar with the worries business owners feel. Due to restrictions currently on all non-essential services, anxiety for the future of one’s small business has become the norm.
“Before all of this, there was a lot of positivity. Things were going really well for a lot of people,” said Wilkinson. “But I’ve come to notice, throughout isolation, that a lot of businesses are struggling. It saddens me that a lot of businesses won’t exist after this.”
Working with a group of local businesses, Wilkinson arranged the scavenger hunt to benefit all involved. At each stop of the scavenger hunt, a piece of paper displays the logo and social media accounts of a local business.
In order to mark that part of the hunt complete, contestants will have to post a picture of themselves at the location on social media and tag both Wilkinson and the business in their post. The scavenger hunt gives contestants a fun social distancing activity and the chance to win a gift basket, while local businesses receive increased exposure online.
“I’m in the fashion industry, so a lot of the places I utilize were the first ones to join the hunt,” said Wilkinson. “But then I expanded that to places I follow, places I’ve heard about but have never been to, places people rave about but are small or unknown. It was a great opportunity for me to learn about new businesses as well.”
With the scavenger hunt coming to a close on Wednesday, April 22, Wilkinson encourages anyone who hasn’t yet entered the competition to give it a shot. From start to finish, the hunt takes roughly three to five hours, meaning it can be finished in one attempt.
If you’re interested in competing, all hints for the scavenger hunt locations can be found on Wilkinson’s Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/unafashionstylist/). The five winners will be drawn once the hunt closes, and will include everyone who located and posted all 27 of the locations.
Wilkinson would like to thank the local businesses who generously donated gift cards, services, and products toward the five gift baskets. A full list of sponsors will be posted to social media and Wilkinson urges community members to give them their support once social distancing measures are lifted.
“I want people to have something fun to do with the people they love. Spend some time with your family, and have fun doing it — safely!”
