Lansing Lifts Up Local (2020)

Hey Lansing, you Lifted Up Local, in 2020!

It’s no secret that the COVID health crisis dealt us all a terrible blow. Our local Lansing businesses struggled, and winter promised to bring even more challenges. If we were going to see our favorite restaurants, shops and attractions through to the other side of the pandemic, it was important that we all come together to Lift Up our Lansing businesses!

We called on everyone in our city—every individual, organization and corporation—to take the Lift Up Local Pledge by promising to dine, shop and support Lansing businesses during the 2020 holiday season and throughout that winter.

Lansing Lifts Up Local was a collaboration between Downtown Lansing Inc., Michigan Premier Events, Pass It On Community Center, and Lanstronauts like you!

Take the pledge, it's easy!

I pledge to #LiftUpLocal by spending my dollars at local Lansing businesses this holiday season. I commit to challenging my friends, family and coworkers to do so, too. I promise to support the community that supports me, so we all can thrive.

Take the 2021 Lift Up Local Pledge

Join corporate partner AT&T and other friends and neighbors who have pledged to support their local community!

  • AT&T AT&T is proud to be the first corporate partner to take the Lift Up Local pledge. We encourage our fellow corporations, businesses, and all those who live or work in Lansing, to pledge to support local small businesses this holiday season and throughout the winter months!
  • Cathleen Edgerly This is the year to pledge to shop local for the holiday season, and make plans to support our small businesses each month throughout the winter. Who are you challenging to take the pledge and lift up local?!
  • Patrick Rivet Shop local to keep our amazing businesses alive!
  • Kristi James I've been so impressed with the resiliency and creativity in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all in this together! #LoveLansing
  • TJ Bucholz I’m a proud downtown Lansing business owner and support this initiative!
  • Sarah Arredondo I believe that if we all pledge to help our small local businesses, neighbors and friends through these tough times, we can make it through this! Every little purchase helps and to do so on a regular basis will make a huge impact on places that you love in our community! I make this pledge to keep our money in our Lansing area and support our Lansing community!
  • Guillermo Flores We have to come together and focus on our local businesses. These are what set us apart and give us local flavor! @Guillermoxf
  • Sara Larner Let’s keep Lansing Alive!
  • Meegan Holland I don't live in Lansing, and I'll no longer work there come December. But I appreciate that the city, and particularly its downtown, is the core of our region and deserves our support. Without a thriving downtown (and Old Town and REO Town), the region implodes. So you won't be able to keep me from downtown. This holiday season, I'll be at the Peanut Shop and Capital City Market. Where will you shop?
  • Stephanie Murray I’m so proud of our local community for adapting and supporting one another. Thank you to every business who has found a way to keep going. We appreciate you!
  • Dimity Palazzola
  • Lynn Ross
  • Aura Ozburn Hey Community, I got your back! Not only will I continue to support local, I will be grateful and loving.
  • Barb Whitney #lovelansing
  • Julie Pingston What makes the Lansing area special are all the locally owned businesses that provide a richness of culture, diversity and uniqueness to our community. We must support them now so we can continue to enjoy the richness they bring to us all. I pledge to support local! #lovelansing
  • Samantha Harkins I love this city and my neighborhood. Love supporting Lansing businesses this holiday season and always!
  • Tamera Carter It’s important that we give back to our community! When we give back to families, friends, and businesses, we thrive!! So let’s pave the way and start by making a contribution to give back to our Greater Lansing community for this holiday season and beyond!! #Ipledge #lovelansing
  • Meghan Martin I support local businesses, because these aren't just great shops, but these shop owners are my friends and neighbors. I'm happy to support them!
  • CeCi Bordayo We will get through this together!
  • Tony Garcia I used to live and work in Lansing. My heart remains there. Having a vibrant downtown is essential and wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the many small businesses. Please continue to patronize the restaurant’s and retail shops when you can. They need us more than ever.
  • Siri Rainone Looking forward to keeping my Christmas spending local!
  • Yvette Collins #lovelansing
  • Dana Kromer NOW, more than ever, we need to come together and support our local businesses. I have a group of friends that I exchange gifts with, this year, I am going to request we exchange gift cards from a local business. I am going to challenge my facebook friends and office friends to lift up local this year too!
  • Stephanie wohlfert Challenge accepted! #inthistogether
  • Christina Espiritu Glad to use my holiday dollars to support our local economy and celebrate everything that makes Lansing special!
  • Mary Toshach All our small businesses need your support. Whether a restaurant, a service company or a small retail business, PLEASE visit Old Town, REO Town, Downtown and beyond for you Holiday shopping prior to the Big Box stores and/or online stores. Our small businesses are what make Lansing special!!
  • Jacklyn Taylor Save local and shop local.
  • Lorin Cumberbatch Stay strong! Lansing is behind you!
  • Paul J Schmidt I've been shopping local especially for the holidays for years. I love giving my family who doesn't (and does) live here a piece of the city I love. Now, more than ever, it's time to give back to our local businesses.
  • Lolo Robison Thanks for supporting local businesses at this challenging time. There are so many unique, quality retailers, service providers and creative makers in our region whose products and services are sure to bring joy to your family, friends and loved ones. Please join me in shopping and eating local to keep our economy and businesses strong.
  • Diona Moore
  • Erica Rivera As a local business owner in the heart of Lansing shopping here means the world to me. It not only takes care of my family I get to give back to others as often as I can to the city I love!
  • Jennifer Schroeder #LoveLansing
  • Cecelia Costigan
  • Melody Teodoro-Kurtis #ShopLocal Investing in our community, like shopping at Small Businesses within Lansing, boosts us all economically and boosts our morale. #SupportLocal
  • Mila Lynn Let's grow together, and make it through the rest of 2020 STRONG! There is power in numbers!
  • Mike Bird It's not about shopping local, it's about living local and helping out your community! There are plenty of places that are safe and really need your help! Everything you need during these weird times is within L.A.! (Lansing Area) So, be local, be safe and stick to L.A. until we get the all clear!
  • Yolanda Thomas I will support my local businesses this holiday season
  • Dana Smith Support the local economy which has been here to support your community. We are all in this together! When local businesses win, we all win..
  • Steve Japinga Love our community!!
  • George Orban Needless to say that during this most difficult time, our local businesses need our support to keep our friends, family and neighbors employed, especially as we go in to the Holiday Season!
  • Lauri Draggoo Hang in there Lansing! Please everyone do what you can to shop local and help our small businesses stick around. They are the fiber, character and lifeblood of our community. We need them to survive 💚💙
  • Tess Let’s remember what keeps Lansing special!! Our people! 💕
  • Morgan MathisonSlee I am here for you and will support you however I can!
  • Kiana I will make sure to show my support to the local businesses here in Lansing. I know times are hard but don’t give up! We’re all in this together.
  • Najeema
  • Marcella Garza
  • Keyana Pugh The more we all support each other the sooner our city will prosper. Support those around you, a change will shortly come.
  • Redhead Design Studio We're excited to shop locally for client gift baskets this year. A great way to thank our clients for their trust, while investing in our local retailers who making Lansing a great place to live.
  • Denya Macaluso I am proud to call Lansing my home and will do everything I can to continue to support our local businesses and community as well as to spread the word!
  • Debra J Bittner I love the community shops and am looking forward to seeing their holiday wares!
  • Andrea Parker Continuing to support local businesses and encouraging others to do the same! Local businesses are truly appreciated for the services they offer here in the city and the surrounding. We must come together and remain #517Strong!
  • J.V. Anderton I'm proud to help support downtown Lansing and the fine restaurants and retailers who do so much to enrich our community.
  • Andrea Rafferty We shop local as much as we can and we support different restaurants every weekend. We need to keep them in business!
  • Summer Schriner We have the power to save each other this year. Whether it's donating to our charitable and safety net organizations, ordering takeout, buying treats, or providing those things to people who want them and need some distraction... we really are all in this together. Let's work together and really make some magic happen. Let's save one another, Lansing. We can do this.
  • Barbara Thorburn We all need to help local businesses survive. I only do take out from local restaurants. We need to advertise better to let people know more about local stores.
  • Ryan Sebolt
  • Rawley Van Fossen Thriving locally owned businesses make for a great community to call home.
  • Karl Dorshimer Lets spend our dollars locally to keep our local businesses alive !
  • Hayley E Gaines Lansing is making it happen!
  • Rachel McIlvaine Lansing's small business community is diverse and resilient, but they need our support! This Christmas I will be shopping locally.
  • Tim Daman The resiliency, innovation and creativity of our regions small business community has never been more important than in 2020. I encourage everyone to support your favorite small businesses as we enter the holiday shopping season.
  • Sarah Sanders Keep those who help run our community and make it as great as it is in business!
  • Annie Goodrich I Love this !! As a small business owner in Lansing , I’m so impressed with how our community has come together . #Iamlansing helped out tremendously while we were shut down . I have and always will shop local and support small businesses. Thank You Lansing !! ❤️ #liftuplocal
  • Lisa Morgan
  • Laurie Baumer This is an easy ask! For me, it's simply a matter of keeping our local stores top-of-mind and choosing take-out meals to break up the monotony of cooking. Lansing, let's not lose the treasures we have in our city!
  • Ben Dwod
  • Ariniko Dyan O'Meara Lansing is my Hometown and I am a solid #lovelansing cheerleader! I live in Greater Lansing, but will do all that I can to continue to support this wonderful Capitol City.
  • Trevor Friedeberg #LoveLansing
  • Amy Friedeberg We will get through this together!
  • Lhauren Singleton Im so proud to be a part of this community. I pledge to continue to support and lift up local businesses in Lansing.
  • Ashley Shamblin I love what you guys are doing to help the people in need it’s nice u guys are doing this
  • Sandra E. I will continue to support local businesses this winter, and all the years to come!
  • Andrea Chavez When I thrive I will also help the community. Let's stick together and build a stronger community with more resources.
  • Lisa Urdaneta Thank you for all you do especially Pass it on & Cecelia Bordayo!!! The kids feel your love & so does the city!!!
  • Naomi Brooks Love Lansing!
  • Zena Frarey I love our small town feel and especially love local specialty shops! Keep small business alive :)
  • Danielle Pickott Stay strong and we are in this together
  • Meeka Armstrong Keep supporting our locals!!!
  • Kalesha Barnett
  • renee uribe i love what you guys do for the community
  • Malinda Pearson I will support my community
  • Malinda Pearson #Lansing will be better
  • Juan Gonzales Everybody let's shop local - our community needs it!
  • Sasha Perkins You are important!
  • Heather Jenkins Keep your head up!
  • Fatima Santoyo mora God bless you
  • Denise Mirse Support Local!!!😃
  • Rebecca Cabrera Love helping small businesses, and it would help me with gifts for Christmas.
  • Andrea Albarez I Support & Help My Community 💚 Albarez Family
  • Jenna Lindsey
  • Ann R Wesley I want to help my community. I feel it is important to support all, whenever possible.
  • Tina
  • Andrea Trevino Hang in there! We will see through this pandemic and in the meantime, spread kindness. It's free and can bring joy to anyone who needs it.
  • Jason Bates Jr This year has been extremely hard for all of us. But this season we all have something to give. Its time we give back to our community. Even if you don't have extra money or food, give a smile. Hold a door open. Caring and compassion do not cost you anything and it brightens the day for another.
  • Shannon mejia I think this Awesome I currently buy local all the time small business and up coming business that aren’t in store fronts. I feed the homeless on a regular basis. I pledge to give back to Lansing
  • Alicia vm
  • Jennifer Button
  • Corina Gonzalez Always support local companies
  • Emily D #lovelansing!!
  • Marisa Stay strong <3 Stay local!
  • Andrea Lea Our dollars, and keeping them local, matters! Local dollars directly helps local families in the communities we love.
  • Effie Alofoje-Carr Thank you for all you have done to service our community. It's been a hard year! I will absolutely put my hard earned dollars in and continue to share opportunities with those around me! Stay strong!
  • Lindsay Bock I have been a part of the Lansing community for 25 years, and now more than ever it is crucial to appreciate all the city has to offer.
  • Century 21 Looking Glass Now more than ever, it is crucial to come together and support our community.
  • Dominique Sturdivant Buying locally sustains the communities we live in and creates a supportive environment. Shop and buy local!
  • Maricela Vargas I have such pride in our city and community for coming together through these uncertain times.
  • demetria salinas I will support are community through this pandemic❤️
  • Corey cannon Support
  • Aliyah Bordayo I love you, Lansing!
  • Brittani Hall
  • Ashley Medina Let's stick together and her through this!
  • Angela Mills We are better together, and no one is alone.
  • Stacie Collins Thank you!
  • Christine Zarkovich Shopping local helps a community to grow, prosper, and thrive. These businesses are asking for our support and now it's our time to shine. I am challenging you to #LiftUpLocal #SupportLocal
  • Jacki Love Lansing. Grew up here and now back. Excited to see all the new shops, cafes, etc that have been added or changed now that im back. Theres something here for everyone.
  • Maurice Starks Keep striving knowing we all can make this community a better place. Have faith in All ways and show your true solid commitment too those who really need it.
  • Kevin Anderson-Mallett Save Stay Safe & Out The Way. Keep Your Love Ones Close and Friends Near.

Want to learn more?

Lift Up Local is a movement that started July 2020 with over 20 Lansing ambassadors — along with Michigan Premier Events and Downtown Lansing Inc. — supporting small businesses across Old Town, Downtown, and REO Town. These ambassadors are Lansing residents like you and me, that shared their experiences and stories across various social media platforms with all of you. But now, we’re Passing It On, and asking our entire City to come together, and pledge to #ShopLansing #GrubLansing and #SupportLansing businesses!

Learn more about Downtown Lansing

Thanks to our sponsors:

Downtown Lansing Inc. ATT