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Balloons remind holiday shoppers to 'shop small.' Photo by Betty Alvarez

Andria Hanley, Cindy Birdsill and Laura Russo. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Commissioner Frank Quesada, Laura Russo, Darla Thompson, Anna De La Rosa and Abe Ng. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Gymboree founder and President Coni Goudie addresses guests. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Gymboree founder and President Coni Goudie, Ileana Delgado and Chamber Chair-elect Perry Adair. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Chamber leaders Darla Thompson and Mark Trowbridge present $2,500 check to Coral Gables Community Foundation representatives Andria Hanley and Tony Rogers. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Kerem Kayser, Village of Merrick Park general manager, and Ileana Delgado. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Chamber President & CEO Mark Trowbridge thanks guests supporting Small Business Saturday. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Chamber President & CEO Mark Trowbridge thanks Jonel Hein and Coni Goudie of Gymboree for their hospitality. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Mark Trowbridge, Coni Goudie, Jonel Hein, Mayor Jim Cason, Darla Thompson and Kerem Kayser. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books, Mayor Jim Cason and Cindy Birdsill, the city's economic sustainability director. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Coral Gables Community Foundation Vice Chair Tony Rogers and Executive Director Andria Hanley. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Some 55 Coral Gables merchants participated in the third annual Small Business Saturday promotion on Nov. 24 when shoppers were encouraged to patronize their local, independently owned businesses.

American Express, the founding sponsor of Small Business Saturday, selected the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce to take the lead locally.

Joined by Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioner Frank Quesada, chamber leaders and business owners launched this year’s initiative at Gymboree Play & Music at the Village of Merrick Park.

Participants included Gymboree founder and President Coni Goudie; Books & Books founder and owner Mitchell Kaplan, who recently celebrated his store’s 30th anniversary; Kerem Kayser, general manager of the Village of Merrick Park; and Cindy Birdsill, the city’s economic sustainability director.

Chamber Chair Darla Thompson and Chamber President & CEO Mark Trowbridge presented a $2,500 check to the Coral Gables Community Foundation, represented by Executive Director Andria Hanley and Vice Chair & Treasurer Tony Rogers, to support small-business training programs.

In 2010 American Express launched Small Business Saturday in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: greater demand for their products and services. The date falls between the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping benchmarks.