Cinch contest winner donates $1,200 to Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition

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After winning a contest set up by Cinch Wallet, a cashless payment web application founded last year that residents can use at dozens of the village’s businesses, Oceanside resident Dr. Bruce Gitt donated $1,200 to the Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition.

“Our mission is to support local economies, including the locally-owned business and the local non-profits,” said Cinch co-founder Marc Liebmann. “… I’m super happy to be able to provide Bruce with money which we know will be spent at locally-owned businesses.”

Gitt, a dentist in Long Beach, said he has used Cinch at restaurants such as George Martin and Chadwicks American Chop House & Bar. He entered Cinch’s recent contest and was randomly selected, winning $1,200 and getting the chance to donate an additional $1,200 to a charity of his choice.

“Unfortunately, I’ve had numerous friends and family and patients affected by [breast cancer],” Gitt said, “so I thought it was a no-brainer.”

The Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition was launched about a year ago, and provides services for local residents going through treatments and their families.

“We were pleasantly surprised,” Coalition Co-president Peg McDonald said of receiving the donation. “We just have had tremendous growth this year … and many people are very receptive to helping us out.”

Co-president Erin O’Sullivan added that the money would go toward a variety of services that those diagnosed with breast cancer might need during treatment. After surgery women have a hard time lifting their arms, for example, making it hard for them to complete day-to-day tasks.

“It’s kind of endless what their needs are; cancer is a really expensive disease,” she said. “You want to be able to help them emotionally, help them physically, help them financially, and that’s where the money goes.”

More than 50 Rockville Centre businesses currently accept Cinch payments, including bars, restaurants, gyms and salons. Users can pre-load money to their cell phone with a credit card and pay with their phone at the time of purchase.

Unlike some other mobile payment methods, Cinch users receive discounts of up to 30 percent in exchange for pre-paying. New users receive $10 free the first time they load money, and get $10 if they refer a friend. Residents can sign up by visiting www.cinch.ky/rvc.

Cinch already gives back a portion of every dollar spent on the app to local charities and causes, including the Breast Cancer Coalition, the Rockville Centre Education Foundation and the Raymar Children’s Fund, according to Adi Hila Yoffe, Cinch’s business development operations manager. The contest, she added, was a way to show even more support.

“In Cinch, our mission is to give back to the community,” Yoffe noted, “so we want the money to circle back.”

Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley said she was pleased that Gitt decided to donate to the Breast Cancer Coalition, of which she is involved in. Because Cinch is easy to use and puts money back into the community, she and her family have become frequent users.

“When [my kids] go out after school, they’ll stop at [Rockville Bagels] or Parmagianni, and it’s nice for me that they’re not carrying cash,” Baxley said. “For my husband and myself, we go out to dinner often in town. We like to support local businesses and this is a great way to do it.”