Chamber urges businesses to offer military discounts

Grace Leong

Tuesday, March 25, 2003 | 10:54 a.m.

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce launched an effort Monday to encourage its 7,000-plus business members to offer discounts to an estimated 65,000 Las Vegas military personnel and their families, including the dependents of those deployed to Iraq and Southwest Asia.

The chamber launched its "Friends of Our Forces" program by sending e-mails Monday that request its member businesses -- most of whom are already participating in an existing membership discount program -- to offer similar discounts through June 30 or longer to those with U.S. military identification cards.

Speaking at Monday's launch of the program outside the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Chamber President Kara Kelley said the program was motivated by a desire to "keep the economy strong when times are uncertain as well as to allow the chamber to play a community stewardship role ... to make things a little easier for those serving (the) country.

"This is an opportunity for the small business community to not only show their support but also help in a tangible way ... whether it's a restaurant offering a two-for-one special or a babysitting service offering 25 percent off the second hour of babysitting or a local flower shop offering a special on flowers," she said. "This (program) isn't just for the family members of those deployed, it's also for the military personnel at Nellis Air Force Base that's carrying the workload of those deployed."

Kelley said small businesses, despite the current economic downturn, should view the program as an opportunity to attract more business.

"A Nellis (Air Force Base) family that may not have gone out to a restaurant for dinner because they're watching their pennies, may go because of the discount. This is one way small businesses can get business by offering discounts," she said.

Kim Youmans, owner of Las Vegas-based Mailboxes Plus at 4080 Paradise Road and also a Las Vegas Chamber member, said he's participating in "Friends of Our Forces" because he believes in supporting the military personnel who are defending America.

"Personally, as a Christian, I believe it's an unjust war. But as an American, I have to support our men and women who're fighting the war," he said.

Youmans said he had already started to offer discounts and free mailing services last week to Las Vegas military personnel and their families because of solicitations by a Napa, Calif.-based trade organization called Neighborhood Postal Centers.

Youmans, a member of Neighborhood Postal Centers, said he will continue to offer discounts to the military as long as the war continues.

"As a chamber member, I'm already offering a 10 percent discount off non-cash items like shipping, mailbox renting and calenders to other chamber members," he said. "I'll offer the same discounts to the military."

Like Youmans, Adam Grant, director of communications with Las Vegas Gladiators, one of 16 football teams in the Arena Football League, said the team has been offering discounts on tickets to military personnel since its first home game on Feb. 17.

"We've been offering $3 off any ticket for those with military ID cards. We want to be able to support our troops and the U.S. Army, which is one of the main sponsors of the Arena Football League and our team," he said.

Joe Brown, chairman of the Nellis Support Team -- a group of 50 Las Vegas community and business leaders that helped raise funds for the Air Force Base -- likened the "Friends of Our Forces" program to a previous effort by Clark County to raise funds from the Las Vegas business community to help the dependents of those deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991.

"In 1991, the Clark County Managers' office was administering a fund-raising program to help the dependents of those deployed who couldn't make rent or car payments or pay their children's medical bills," Brown said. "But the 'Friends of Our Forces' program is more a joint effort between the chamber, Clark County and the various city governments."

Catherine Levy, the chamber's spokeswoman, said the chamber had initially considered naming the program "Friends of Nellis" but dropped the idea in favor of "Friends of Our Forces" to reflect the 65,000 members of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, retirees, and guard and reserve members in Las Vegas who are participating in the war effort.

Meanwhile, Albertsons Inc. is partnering with the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross to offer its 39 grocery stores in the Las Vegas area as drop-off points for care package donations to be sent to overseas U.S. troops.