Dateline: October 4, 2001

Panhandle shows support for economy  

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Representatives from cities throughout the tri-state region gathered Thursday afternoon in Amarillo to support a campaign designed to show Panhandle area residents how they can stand up for America after the September 11 terrorist attack on New York and Washington.

Judy Burlin, representing the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, and Carol Hinton, representing KEFH-FM, along with mayors and other chamber of commerce representatives gathered at Westgate Mall to show support for a promotional campaign entitled “Buy at Home, Support America Now.”

Local businesses can pick up a “Buy at Home” poster courtesy of the Amarillo Globe News at The Clarendon Enterprise office.

The campaign, launched on Friday, is designed to show Panhandle residents how they can step up and support America at a time when the country’s confidence and economy have been jolted by the September 11 terrorist attacks, said Amarillo Mayor Trent Sisemore.

“A considerable amount of what happens or doesn’t happen in the economy is directly related to perception,” said Sisemore. “When people are unsure of the future, it affects their spending habits.

“While we know that confidence has been shaken, we know that Americans everywhere are searching for ways they can stand up for our country. One of the best ways to support our country right now is to spend some money with your local merchants.

“If we don’t spend money we’d normally spend, we actually are allowing the terrorists to succeed on the economic front. That hurts, rather than helps our country. This campaign is designed to promote spending with our hometown businesses as a way to invest in America to keep our economy strong.

“Why should we allow economic terrorism to occur if we can do something about it?”

The campaign will begin to show up soon throughout the region’s media, said Amarillo Chamber of Commerce President Gary Molberg.

“Look for TV, radio, newspapers, and outdoors to support this campaign in a lot of ways,” said Molberg. “This campaign is designed to affect the way we feel about ourselves and show people there is something they can do to support our country.

“We know that business activity has been down since the September 11 attacks, but we also know that people everywhere, especially this area, want badly to do something to show their support for our country.

The “Buy at Home, Support America Now” campaign is expected to continue for months, according to Amarillo media representatives.