Shopping local: Mayo Clinic puts over $250K back into downtown businesses

More than a quarter of a million dollars in gifts exclusively from downtown Rochester businesses will go to Mayo Clinic staff over the coming weeks, thanks to a successful collaboration between the Clinic, White Space, and the Rochester Downtown Alliance.

Over a two-week period earlier in November, the Gift Rochester website — previously piloted in April — was open for Mayo Clinic managers and supervisors to buy gifts for their staff. Over 50 local businesses were included on the website, with eight receiving over $10,000 apiece in orders.

(The most popular gift selection? A bucket of Carroll’s Corn popcorn — over 2,200 gallons of popcorn will go to Clinic staff, good for nearly $34,000 in revenue.)

Mayo Clinic says the collaboration began out of a desire to replace the traditional office holiday party with a socially distant alternative. After garnering $8,000 in revenue for local businesses through the April pilot program, the brainchild behind Gift Rochester says the skeleton of the site was already in place when the Clinic came calling.

"This idea started as a personal need to fill my son’s Easter basket back in April when supporting local businesses during our stay-at-home order,” said Sarah Miller, founder of White Space and Gift Rochester. “Seventy-two hours later, we launched our pilot program. While this model has evolved to support Mayo Clinic’s needs, the heart of this endeavor ― supporting our friends and neighbors ― has remained."

In total, roughly $257,000 in gifts were ordered — all on the Clinic’s dime. White Space says about 700 Mayo Clinic supervisors utilized the site, and over 15,000 employees will receive gifts through the holiday season.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.

Disclosure: Sarah Miller is the better half of Med City Beat editor Sean Baker.