Kristy Burris wins $500 shopping spree in Berkshire Edge “Shop Small” promotion

Just in time for holiday shopping, Kristy Burris of Dalton has won 20 gift certificates from Great Barrington realtors worth a total of $500. These certificates were collected by The Berkshire Edge for its “Shop Small” promotion, which took place on November 25, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The Edge distributed entry forms with the names of 20 participating retailers. Participants who visited at least 10 of the shops and had their forms validated were entered into the drawing. Participants who visited all 20 shops were entered into the drawing three times. It so happens that Kristy was one of the contestants who visited all 20.

Last week, the winning name was drawn by Betsy Andrus, executive director of the Southern Berkshires Chamber of Commerce.

Although she lives in Dalton, Kristy, 21 years old, works in Great Barrington at the Berkshire Bank branch on Stockbridge Road, where she has just been promoted to the position of Universal Financial Service Representative. Half her time is now spent serving as a teller and the other half helping bank customers with their individual accounts. Her family is still in Dalton. She graduated from Wahconah High School, studied at Flagler College in Florida and at Berkshire Community College. She is the only daughter in her family, with four brothers. As the second to the youngest, with three older brothers and one younger, she says she always felt well protected but worries that her boyfriends feel intimidated when she brings them home.

It was her boss, Berkshire Bank branch manager Matt Ryan, who encouraged her and her co-worker Alexis Barton to get involved with the promotion. He thought it would be a good way for them to get better acquainted with members of the Great Barrington business community, many of whom are customers of the bank. “It was a great experience,” she says. “I don’t usually shop in Great Barrington, but now that I’ve had a chance to go into so many of the stores, to meet the owners and to see what’s for sale, I will definitely shop here from now on.”

And, of course, she will at least be going back to the stores that contributed the gift certificates. Or at least most of them, since she has decided to share the certificates with her co-worker Alexis, who visited all 20 stores with her.

Here are the 20 Great Barrington businesses (arranged geographically from south to north) where Kristy and Alexis will be redeeming their gift certificates:

1. Wild Birds Country Store
2. The Great Barrington Bagel Company
3. Body & Soul Day Spa
4. Berkshire Co-op Market
5. One Mercantile
6. The Vault Gallery
7. Hildi B
8. Evergreen Fine American Crafts
9. Lawrence of London
10. Soco Creamery
11. The Chef’s Shop
12. Robin’s Candy
13. Gorham & Norton
14. Carr Hardware
15. Lennox Jewelers
16. Eagle Shoe and Boot Company
17. The Berkshire Gold & Silversmith
18. Domaney’s Liquor and Fine Wines
19. Berkshire Bike & Board
20. Pawsh Buddies