Letters

As a local business owner, lifelong resident of Southampton, and a member of both the Southampton and Hampton Bays chambers of commerce, I commend the Sag Harbor Chamber for its upcoming event this Saturday, encouraging residents to “Keep It Local,” spearheaded by Megan Chiarello.

The premise is to create a community-driven celebration to support our beloved local businesses. The chamber wants to stress the importance of keeping our buying dollars local in the community, and resisting the urge to shop online to save 50 cents.

I agree that small businesses are the backbone of the economy in the Hamptons, employing neighbors, sponsoring local events, donating to countless charities and so much more. Thanks to the hundreds of local businesses that work with me, I am able to give to a wide array of causes on the South Fork that all do incredible work to improve life in the Hamptons.

I’ve been attending events, high school sports games and galas out here for decades. I have never seen Amazon, or eBay, or Etsy, or Forbes listed as a sponsor for anything. I have not seen a national corporation sponsor a high school baseball team, a PTO, a robotics club, the animal shelter or the Red Knights.

What I do see are family-owned landscaping companies, retail stores and service companies consistently stepping up to meet the needs of the community. I see restaurants hosting fundraisers and donating gift cards. I see business professionals stepping up all over, serving in our volunteer services, putting out fires, answering 911 calls.

The Sag Harbor Chamber gets the importance of supporting our community and keeping it local. I hope to see many of you walking the streets of Sag Harbor this Saturday.

Ronald Fisher

Shinnecock Hills