Rally Downtown, a shop local event to help out Lower Manhattan small businesses that were affected by Hurricane Sandy, takes place December 7 and 8. Many businesses in Lower Manhattan sustained damaged and lost revenue during the storm and its aftermath, and are now struggling. The event starts on Friday with a Foursquare scavenger hunt, in which participants will check-in at downtown businesses in order to win prizes. Saturday’s Food Crawl will focus on downtown restaurants and bars—participants will be rewarded with discounts and special activities at participating businesses. Rally Downtown is organized by StartUp New York, a coalition dedicated to supporting city small businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. The coalition views the rally as a pilot program and intends to hold follow up events in other affected neighborhoods.
