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As cash registers ring, victims win

Downtown Dunedin merchants have agreed to donate part of Saturday's sales to tsunami victims.

By MEGAN SCOTT
Published January 21, 2005

DUNEDIN - Downtown merchants may be far removed from the areas ravaged by the tsunami, but they still will be doing their part to help.

More than a dozen have agreed to donate a portion of their sales through Saturday to assist the victims.

And they are reducing their prices in the hopes of attracting more customers.

"It's an opportunity for people to get great sales and know a portion of it will go to the tsunamis," said Theresa Pereira, the organizer. "A lot of us are going to market this month, and we'll be bringing in new things."

Pereira, who owns the Treehouse Garden Collection, came up with the idea for a white elephant sale earlier this month when she was watching the news. She was horrified that the body count from the tsunami was increasing by the thousands each day.

"It's unbelievable - that many people lost in a moment," she said. "Can you imagine sitting on a beach and suddenly your family's gone? I can't even fathom what that's like."

She wanted to do something to help the victims, so she asked other businesses to participate in a fundraising event.

Store owners are donating anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of their sales to organizations, such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and United Way.

Some also chose to give through the Downtown Merchants Association, which collected money for the tsunami victims last week.

Kismat Gift and Collectibles is giving 10 percent of its sales to UNICEF.

"Every little thing puts a positive thought in customers' minds," said Maria Alam, the owner. "I love participating in anything Dunedin puts on."

Merchants are also hoping the sale will take them out of their postholiday retail slump. Some are still recovering from losses from last summer's hurricanes.

"People coming down and seeing the wonderful shops we have really helps a lot," said Rita Ellis, owner of Maison De Noix Et Chocolats. "And of course, this is for a good benefit."

Megan Scott can be reached at 445-4167 or mscott@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 21, 2005, 00:29:18]