MEDC Awards Winner of First Marlborough Dine Local Challenge

Marlborough, MA, December 19, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Marlborough resident, Vicki Emerson, has won the city’s first Marlborough Dine Local Challenge and collected the grand prize of $1,100 in gift cards to area restaurants.

The Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), in conjunction with the Marlborough Restaurant Association (MRA) launched the Dine Local Challenge in September, as part of the MEDC’s ongoing Dine Local initiative.

The MEDC kicked off the initiative earlier this year in an effort to encourage residents to eat at Marlborough restaurants and support the city’s sports fields and parks through the 0.75% local meals tax.

To complete the challenge, Emerson and her boyfriend Bill Throckmorton, dined together at all 11 participating Marlborough restaurants and collected stickers to fill and mail the official challenge card by the December 1st deadline. For their efforts, the couple was rewarded with more than 25 Marlborough restaurant gift certificates in different denominations.

“When I got the Marlborough Dine Local Challenge card, I noticed that about half of the participating restaurants were ones that we already like to eat at regularly,” said Emerson, who has called Marlborough home for 40 years. “So, I told Bill, ‘We can do this.’ We worked hard to get the last two stickers before the deadline, but we really enjoyed the experience. It was a great way to learn about restaurants we hadn’t tried before.”

“We were very happy to present Vicki with this grand prize just before the holidays,” said Debra Williams, who is the coordinator of the Dine Local initiative. “But we were even more excited to hear that this experience encouraged her to try out local restaurants that she had not been to before. We hope to continue running similar campaigns in the new year, and we hope Vicki’s win will encourage more Marlborough residents to participate in future challenges.”

Emerson says she plans on giving some of her winnings away as gifts.

For images, go to:
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About MEDC:
The Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is the state chartered economic development corporation for the City of Marlborough, MA and represents a public-private partnership for planning. MEDC works with municipal and private investors to foster economic development, job growth and community revitalization and development. For a complete overview of MEDC visit www.MarlboroughEDC.com.