One of the best deals in Rochester is right here at UR and you probably didn’t know about it. Alpha Epsilon Pi and the Mount Hope Business Association have teamed up to create a discount card that students can and should use. For $10, you get discounts at 24 Mt. Hope businesses, from Starbucks to The Distillery to Pellegrino’s and Salmon Florist.
And they’re not just stupid little discounts, like spend $50 at McDonald’s, get a free small Coke. Every time you buy a Quarter Pounder or Big Mac, you get one free. That’s right, free. That might not be too good for your heart, but your stomach and wallet will love you.
You can also get cheese sticks every time you order pizza from Papa John’s. That means that every time your friends want to order pizza, you can whip out your discount card and say, “Hey guys, the cheese sticks are on me.” They’ll probably give you some of their pizza and if not, hey, free cheese sticks.
Or you could take a date to Starbucks ? you’ll always get a free beverage when you buy one with your discount card. Just try to play down the whole “equal or lesser value” aspect. And if you don’t have a date, you could make a new friend by buying them a drink. Pay it forward. We think there was a movie about that.
You can get discounts on things other than food too ? flowers, hardware, haircuts, futons, even alcohol. That’s right ? the card will get you a discount the next time you throw a party. You get cheaper alcohol at Fort Hill Liquor, which already has some of the most reasonable prices in the city.
Studying for the L-SAT, GRE, or MCAT? If you buy the card, you’ll get $50 off Kaplan Test Prep services. While their prices are still astronomical to the average student, you can save $40 and get all these great discounts by buying a card.
Personal benefits are not all you get by purchasing the discount card. While you are saving money, you will also be contributing to a worthy cause. Half of the money raised by the sale of the card goes directly to philanthropic efforts.
If you buy your card from AEP, you are supporting Megan David Adom, a first aid emergency health care service provider in Israel. You can also purchase the cards through Strong Memorial Hospital, in which case the hospital will get half of the proceeds.
The other half of the money will go directly to the fraternity to benefit their future charitable activities. They are planning a broomball tournament in the spring to raise additional funds for charity. They also co-sponsor events with Hillel and do community service work.
“Everyone is basically winning in this situation,” junior and President of AEP Pete Fabricant said. “Everyone will be spending more money at the businesses and we’re getting money for charity.”
The Mt. Hope Business Association wants to build a stronger connection with UR students and staff.
“I think there’s too many UR students who aren’t too familiar with the Mt. Hope business area,” John Spencer, treasurer of the Mt. Hope Business Association, said. “A lot of them head out to the malls.”
“You can get your money back on it in one weekend,” he said.
Jay Rhode, the general manager at McDonald’s, agreed. “This card is a heck of a deal for all of the businesses on there,” he said.
“Anyone who goes off campus should buy this card,” Fabricant said.
The card expires on Aug. 14, 2003. That’s a lot of coffee if you start today. To obtain a card, contact Dave at do002k@mail or look for AEP tables soon around campus.
Hildebrandt can be reached at thildebrant@campustimes.org.Smith can be reached at ksmith@campustimes.org.
