Celebrate Reading Saturday, December 22, in Downtown Huntington

The Cash Mob is being combined with a Book Signing Festival at Empire Books and News to create “Celebrate Reading Saturday.” Located in Pullman Square, Empire Books has a wide selection of new and used books by local and national authors. Eleven local authors will be on-hand Noon – 5:00 P.M. to sign copies of their books: Marie Manilla Shrapnel and Still Life with Plums; Carter Taylor Seaton, Amo, Amas, Amat and Father’s Troubles; Don Hatfield, A Pocketful of Cinders; Sheila Redling, Flowertown; Sylvia Thompson, John’s Little Acre; Sydney Turnbull, Sixth Floor; John Smith, The Bog and 14,000 Dogs Later; Eliot Parker, Prospect; John Hash, Honey Branches; Joe Dobbs, A Country Fiddler; Justine Rutherford, Wild Mustard and Rough Lumber; Rosalie Ash, We Fought Back; Robin Ramey, Butternut Moon; and Rose Sefton, Death on the Silver Bridge.

Create Huntington will draw the name of December Cash Mob recipients every Monday in the month. Winners are posted to the Create Huntington Facebook page that afternoon. The business selected will be “Mobbed” the following Saturday. Anyone is welcome to nominate a business to be Cash Mobbed. To nominate a business, go to: http://www.createhuntington.com/getinvolved/cash-mob-nominations/. Winners will be randomly drawn from all nominations submitted. Beginning in January, Cash Mobs will again be held once every month.

The idea behind the Cash Mob is similar in concept to a Flash Mob but here the goal is to express appreciation and support for local businesses. People gather at the designated business to “mob” them with support and cash. Anyone is welcome to participate. Participants are encouraged to spend at least $10 at the business being “Mobbed.” It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet others in the community and to express your appreciation to a local business.

The Cash Mob was introduced to Huntington by the grassroots community development organization, Create Huntington. Residents discussed the idea at a February 2012 Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chew and decided to launch the program, which supports locally owned businesses, in March. Other Cash Mob recipients have included Lamb’s Gate Fair Trade Market, River & Rail Bakery, Bottle & Wedge, Simply Whisk, Sip Wine Bar, and Tropical Moon Yogurt, the Huntington Museum of Art Gift Shop, and Robert’s Running and Walking Shop. For information on Create Huntington, go to www.createhuntington.com.