All Lakewood merchants are encouraged to start considering how they would like to participate during Light Up Lakewood activities, Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. Main Street Lakewood and LakewoodAlive are collaborating to encourage residents and visitors to shop and play throughout Lakewood throughout the weekend.

On November 30th, Light Up Lakewood will be launching a Certifichecks program. Certifichecks, which function like a cashier's check, will be first offered for sale at the community-wide November 30th Light Up Lakewood event and will be redeemable at any registered Lakewood business. This is not a fundraiser. There are no fees for either the merchant or the purchaser of Certifichecks.

Because the Certifichecks program facilitates local economic activity, making a significant impact on local shopping revenues, LakewoodAlive and Lakewood Community Progress Inc. are subsidizing administrative fees and start-up costs.

Light Up Lakewood weekend is the ideal time for local retailers to plan special promotions aimed at enticing holiday shoppers to spend at your businesses. In November, the Light Up Lakewood committee will be compiling a program of local retail promotions for publication in the news media and distribution at the Friday evening kick-off event. Light Up Lakewood committee representatives will be contacting retailers directly in October with detailed information about Certifichecks and requesting information on planned promotional activities.

The LakewoodAlive website, www.lakewoodalive.com will be posting details and response forms. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact retail committee chair, Paula Reed, at preed1208@aol.com , or Mary Anne Crampton at macrampton@lcpi.org for more information.