Providence, RI - July 22, 2010
Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts will visit Block Island on Friday, July 23, 2010, departing on the Point Judith Ferry to meet US SBA RI District Director Mark Hayward and Block Island Chamber President Kathy Szabo at 9:45 am at the Block Island Chamber of Commerce, One Water Street. Together they will continue on a morning tour of 10 of the island's retail shops and eateries.
"Block Island is one of the crown jewels of Rhode Island's tourism industry, and it's important for me to hear from these small businesses about how we can better support them, promote them, and help them grow jobs in our state," said Lt. Governor Roberts. "My 'Buy Local RI' tours initiative is one of the best ways for me to do this--getting out of the State House and visiting them where they live and do business," said Roberts.
Lt. Gov. Roberts, Chair of the Small Business Advocacy Council, has made dozens of "Buy Local" tours of the state in an effort to reach out to small businesses since she launched "Buy Local RI" in 2009, a statewide initiative to grow the sales and consumer base for locally owned businesses. Roberts and members of the Small Business Advocacy Council joined with members of local Chambers of Commerce, local business owners and state and local elected officials to help create a statewide network and website (buylocalri.org) dedicated to expanding the market for local businesses and products by connecting people to Rhode Island businesses.