Rockville Rewards Refocuses on Building Community

Rockville Rewards is ready for its relaunch. 

and honed by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, the discount card program now offers more discounts with more nonprofit partners benefitting from the cards’ sales than ever before.

It’s also renewing its emphasis on its benefits to both the business and nonprofit community by promoting this year’s cards with a kickoff promotion on Tuesday.

“I always wanted to develop a community around the card,” said Andrea Jolly, the chamber’s executive director.

Twenty-three businesses will be selling the cards for the discounted price of $15 at Rockville businesses from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Click here and here for lists of the businesses selling the cards at a discount.

The cards went on sale Aug. 31 and offer discounts through Aug. 31, 2013. The standard price is $25, with 100 percent of each sale going to support one of 34 nonprofit community organizations.

“If you buy [the card on Tuesday] for $15 you can use it that very day,” Jolly said. “You can practically save all the money in one day and the card’s good until Aug. 31” next year.

Purchasers can give to the nonprofit of their choice by purchasing a card directly through that nonprofit organization. Click here for a list of the nonprofit beneficiaries. Cards also are available for purchase online.

Tuesday's kickoff aims to draw greater attention to the program and to the connections it forges between the city’s business and nonprofit communities.

will be the beneficiary of discounted sales at five businesses. Executive Director Agnes Saenz will have lunch with Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio at , a Rockville Rewards participant, Jolly said. City Councilman Tom Moore is scheduled to have lunch with chamber members at Woodside Deli, Jolly said.

CakeDreams is . Cards sold at are going toward .

Also Tuesday, will offer massages to raise money for their nonprofit partner . The nonprofit is one of eight collaborating with the on in Montgomery County.

“We drew business to the businesses, we raised money for the nonprofits, but we didn’t build community the way we wanted to,” Jolly said of previous years of Rockville Rewards. “And this is our way of building community.”

The cards are good for discounts at 100 businesses in and around Rockville, including restaurants, health clubs, home maintenance, retailers, business-to-business services, dance classes and party rentals. Click here for a list of the discounts.

"It's a win-win-win situation," Jonathan P. Reeve, manager of Dan’s Fan City, a returning participant in the program, .

Rockville Rewards gives shoppers an opportunity to save while helping the businesses and nonprofits in the community, Jolly said.

“The chamber does this for goodwill in the community,” she said. “We don’t make any money from this.”

For more information on buying or selling the cards or on how to offer a deal through your business, click here.