Put it on the chiros tab!

Two Coeur d'Alene chiropractic offices have been throwing local businesses and community members a bone recently by revealing over 11 $100 tabs to boost commerce — and smiles.

Since the beginning of 2020, Spoelstra Family Chiropractic and Beyond Bones Chiropractic have been giving back to the area through gift cards, donations and covering customer expenses. While they were initially acting separately — Beyond Bones to first responders and Spoelstra Family passing out gift cards to needy demographics, the two banded together in November to give even more.

"Both of our businesses do a lot of giveaways," Beyond Bones Chiropractic Owner Dr. Ryan Bones said. "But this year, because of the impact 2020 has on our community, especially our small businesses, we wanted to try and find something to benefit them, the consumer and spread a little happiness."

So far, the $100 tabs have been set up at Union Roasters, Bean & Pie, Bear Paw Cookies, Hudson's Hamburgers, the Wellness Bar, the Wine House, Anchored Coffee, Iron Pizza, White Brick Interiors, the Spice & Tea Exchange, and starting Wednesday the Earthly Beauty Bar. Some, Bones said, still have some money left.

The locations are a hodgepodge of the two practices' local small businesses, Bones said. To make the money last, purchases are covered by $5 to $10 a person, and customers have to use the secret phrase — "put it on the chiros tab."

"We just wanted to support our community and local businesses because we are a local business," Dr. Amy Spoelstra, owner of Spoelstra Family Chiropractic, said. "We know that there are a lot of other businesses that have been hit a lot harder than us, so we just want to do what we can to help them."

Due to their health care affiliation, both offices have been labeled essential and worked through strict isolation orders. However, Spoelstra said they've seen how other industries have been adversely affected.

"We thought about the businesses and our demographics. Our practice base, ourselves, and the businesses we love and use," Spoelstra said. "We wanted to help the ones that we know are hurting, like restaurants. It has been brutal for them."

The newest addition to the bunch — Earthly Beauty Bar — received their $100 tab Wednesday morning, expressly set aside for customers to come in and grab a face mask. Earthly Beauty Bar owner Lacey Moen was thrilled to participate in the program and hopes the contribution can provide a little self-care for the community post-2020.

"After Christmas, we're all exhausted, everyone is financially spent," Moen said. "Whether they did too much or didn't have the ability to do anything over the holiday, doing something nice for people right now is awesome."

Through programs like the #cdachiro $100 tabs and personal work, Moen believes there is goodness in the business community.

"I'd say across the board business owners are exhausted, more like emotionally and physically drained. It is that unknown, worrying about someone getting COVID, closures, trying to protect everybody while making a profit," she said. "Being able to get involved in this is great. I'm one of those people that is constantly trying to be that light in a whole lot of heavy, and this is just like icing on the cake."

Bones said this initiative had been a joy. To him, it is a chance for patrons to treat themselves, smile a little brighter, and for the chiropractors to create happiness.

"It is a small relief, and that small relief can be enough to drastically change someone's way, or a week, and that one thing can make a massive impact in our community," Bones said. "Whether they go out and share one positive thing, or make someone else happy, it creates ripples of positivity."