One of the big benefits for businesses to join the Wabash County Retail Merchants Committee is the gift check program. And 2020 saw a huge number of gift checks circulating through the local economy. The Wabash County Chamber of Commerce administers the gift check program for the merchants and chamber executive director Lesley Hipsher reports $141,000 worth of gift checks were written last year, with the bulk coming during the holiday season. Hipsher said with the importance of the Shop Local campaign, the RMC’s gift check program definitely promotes local spending. Gift checks spend just like cash and are only redeemable at RMC member businesses.