Chances are you’ve already been challenged to buy more local goods.
It’s not necessarily an easy thing to do; you might have to do a bit of
research or travel a little out of your way—and we all know
convenient chain stores can be tempting. But the thing is, says Lisette
DeMars, “buying local really just does so much more.”

And she should know: DeMars is the membership coordinator of the
Tucson chapter of Local First Arizona (LFA), a statewide nonprofit
organization dedicated to strengthening communities and local economies
by encouraging people to support locally owned businesses. Local First
Arizona (like other similar organizations across the country) believes
that by supporting and celebrating local businesses instead of doing
our shopping at chain stores, we can preserve our vibrant community,
promote environmental sustainability and help the national economy by
strengthening local economies.

The organization was originally initiated in Phoenix in 2003 under
the name Arizona Chain Reaction. In 2007, the group gained nonprofit
status and updated the name. Soon after, DeMars and several other
members decided that Tucson deserved its own chapter; today, there are
more than 150 LFA members here in Tucson, and 1,800 members total.

But what makes buying local so much better than buying from chains?
According to the LFA Web site, 85 percent of our state’s economy is
generated by Arizona-owned businesses, and keeping them afloat can help
us all. When you shop in a local business—as opposed to a chain
store—your money is re-circulated locally over and over again,
creating up to 75 percent more tax revenue for our community and
state.

“It’s 45 cents staying here versus 13,” explains DeMars.

To celebrate Arizona’s local businesss—and to inspire people
to go local—former Gov. Janet Napolitano officially declared the
week surrounding July 4 as Independents Week. This year marks the
seventh annual Independents Week and will take place through July
5.

“It’s one of the annual events that will help bring awareness to the
community and to our own members as well,” says DeMars.

Because it’s Independents Week, now is an especially inviting time
to take the Local First Arizona pledge: Declare that you’ll do your
best to shop 100 percent locally for the week. To help you out, says
DeMars, you can download LFA’s Golden Coupon that gets you 20 percent
off at participating local businesses. “As a thank you for helping
out,” she says, “they’re offering discounts on all sorts of cool
stuff.”

The culmination of all this Local First Arizona energy will be the
Indie-Pendence Day Extravaganza on July 4 at Hotel Congress. The
Independence Day event at Hotel Congress has annually been downtown
Tucson’s largest outdoor Fourth of July party, but this year, in a
celebration of Tucson’s vibrant local businesses, the bulk of the
proceeds will go to Local First Arizona.

“It will be a chance to highlight local business members and invite
nonmembers to join in,” explains DeMars.

The evening will begin with a family-friendly barbecue featuring
live music from local musicians including Tom Walbank, Al Foul, Pork
Torta and the Tryst. There will also be a raffle with prizes donated by
local businesses, aimed at inspiring the public to visit these local
treasures. These prizes include a few Locals Only CDs from KXCI
FM 91.3, a 60-minute massage from the Lotus Massage and Wellness
Center, and a $100 gift certificate to Bookmans.

After the 9 p.m. fireworks display, as the music gets a little
louder, the event will become a little less family-friendly.

Amid all the excitement, Local First Arizona representatives will be
around to make sure you know that your participation is especially
patriotic (and not just because it’s the Fourth of July): You’re
helping out our city, state and country.

“We don’t want to get preachy, but there will be a bit of
education,” admits DeMars. “We want people to know what we’re doing and
what they’re doing for Arizona.”

This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2009.