Iowa mom of four wins $1,000 Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card

A stay at home mom of four from Iowa has won a national competition with a $1,000 Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card as a prize.

Backed by Rock Valley Chamber, the Win Your Dream Christmas competition from Miconex gave people the chance to win a $1,000 Downtown Gift Card.

The Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card launched in 2022 as part of efforts to support businesses in Iowa, and can be spent with multiple participating businesses in Rock Valley, including stores, restaurants, salons and hotels.

Katie Van Ginkel, 29, is excited to spend her Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card, saying:

“When I saw the competition I thought ‘why not’ never thinking I’d win but I did and it’s such a blessing. The Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card is such a great idea because it helps local businesses that need the support.

“I grew up in Rock Valley and even though I live about an hour’s drive away now, Rock Valley is still like a second home to me. The people are so nice and take care of each other. My family used to own a grocery store in Rock Valley so I understand why shopping local is so important. When you support local businesses, those local businesses can in turn support the community. You can go to Walmart and Target but it’s the mom and pop stores that are the fabric of the community.

“I’m a stay at home mom and home-educator of 4 boys who are 7, 6, 4 and 1 and I’m 22 weeks along with my fifth child. With the gift card, I’d love to enjoy a date night with my husband, or a day out in Rock Valley where I can treat the boys and let them have fun, each picking out something they’d like and getting a Frappuccino in a local café.

“A friend I went to school with owns Willow Creek Boutique, so I might pop there to have a look around her store too. I’m on cloud nine to have won the Rock Valley Gift Card to spend with the local businesses I know and love.”

Ashley Feekes, Chamber Director at Rock Valley Chamber said:

“We’re thrilled to see Katie win this fantastic prize. We introduced the Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card to replace our previous paper Bonus Bucks and it has been super successful, giving people and organizations an easy way to support our local businesses, boost our local economy and keep Rock Valley thriving. I hope Katie and her family enjoy spending their Gift Card in Rock Valley.”

The Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card is part of the Downtown Gift Card concept from payments provider Miconex in association with payments technology solutions provider EML Payments.

The Rock Valley Chamber Gift Card is issued by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC. Funds do not expire. Non-reloadable and no cash access. For Cardholder Agreement or Customer Service: www.getmybalance.com or 1.833.558.1088.

Pathward®, N.A., a national bank, is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASH). Pathward is a U.S.-based financial empowerment company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion. Pathward strives to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity across our Banking as a Service and Commercial Finance business lines. The strategic business lines provide end-to-end support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at Pathward.com.