The following is a release from the office of Congresswoman Suzan DelBene:

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene marked Small Business Saturday by holiday shopping at locally-owned small businesses in downtown Kirkland.

“Growing up, my parents owned a toy store, so I know how important holiday shopping can be for a small retailer. Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to show our support for local shops,” DelBene said. “By focusing on efforts that help our small businesses and local industries succeed, we’ll be able to create and grow more good-paying jobs for years to come right here in Washington.”

According to the most recent data from the Small Business Administration, Washington’s small businesses make up 98 percent of all employers in the state with around 1.2 million people – more than half of the state’s private-sector workforce.

“Supporting local is so important. In our space, we’re lucky that local food has so much cache right now and that our communities really get why local, seasonal agricultural is important,” said Ben Friedman co-founder and owner of Homegrown, a shop DelBene visited on Saturday. “But Small Business Saturday goes beyond the neighborhood farmers’ markets and sandwich shops – it’s about keeping these businesses thriving in our hometowns.”

Holiday shopping kicks into high gear following Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday was created after Black Friday and Cyber Monday to encourage shoppers to buy from local brick and mortar businesses as well.