Some shoppers in Oakland County can win between $250 and $1,000 in November as part of the annual Local Gems Sweepstakes.

The rules are pretty simple: Visit one or more of the county’s 6,000-plus small retail businesses, take a selfie at the store and submit the entry to the county. A random drawing of selfies submitted online, in person or by mail determines the winner of the three prizes: $1,000, $500, or $250. Every entry must include a photo of the person inside or outside a local small business.

The contest gets underway on Saturday, Nov. 1 and continues through Nov. 30.

This year’s contest was launched in downtown Pontiac at Designed Mindfully, an interior-design company. Designed Mindfully was among the 2024’s top vote getters, with HobbyTown and AM2PM Barbershop in Southfield; I

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