WINTERVILLE—The Pitt Community College Foundation held a press conference Sept. 21 to update the community on the latest 2020 Down East Holiday Show developments.
Due to health risks posed by the coronavirus, the charitable organization has canceled plans for an in-person event at the Greenville Convention Center this fall and will instead hold its largest annual fundraiser virtually Nov 6-8.
PCC Events Coordinator Erin Greenleaf says shoppers can begin registering to participate in the virtual Holiday Show on Oct. 1 by visiting downeastholidayshow.com. The cost is $10, which benefits PCC scholarships and educational activities, and those who register will receive an access code good for all three days of the event. They will also be eligible for a prize from Bob 93.3.
In addition to an access code, shoppers will receive a link to an app featuring a map of vendor locations. It can be downloaded to a smartphone or computer.
“We’ve tried to make this year’s Holiday Show as sSchoimilar to previous events as possible,” Greenleaf said. “The app displays vendors on a map as if they were set up in the Greenville Convention Center. Shoppers can simply click on a vendor to see what they have for sale.”
Even though there isn’t an established process for vendors to ship items they’ve sold, Greenleaf says the foundation has designated Nov. 14 as an opportunity for curbside pickup on campus. She said many businesses may opt to ship purchases directly to customers at no additional cost, while others will offer drop-off options and porch pickup at their storefront locations.
In addition to items for sale, Greenleaf says the show will feature vendor demonstrations at scheduled dates and times. She says there will also be readings from Santa Claus for kids and an option for shoppers to message vendors.
Since the first Holiday Show in 2002, the event has generated more than $1.4 million to benefit PCC students. During the 2019-20 academic year, the PCC Foundation awarded nearly $380,000 in scholarships.
09/25/2020