COMING UP
      We were so excited that Ken Riley and the Bartow Police Department won the coveted C.C. Corbett Diversity Award at last week's luncheon. Can't think of anyone or any organization that is more deserving!
     Our Golf Scramble is coming up October 14, make sure you get your team registered by going online, or calling Virginia, Jeff or Barbara at 863-533-7125. This is one of the most fun events of the year, don't miss it! REGISTER HERE for the Chamber's Golf Scramble.
     Champions Cup awards including the Spirit of Bartow awards is set for October 20th at the Bartow Civic Center. Congressman Tom Rooney, is guest speaker for that great event. This year, the nomination form is easier than ever to complete; and companies and organizations may self-nominate. Are you proud of your company? Tell us about it! Nominated companies actually get two free tickets to the event (worth $100); and the best part? You don't have to pay to nominate your business - we want to hear about it! Do it today . . . who knows, your company may win the Champions Cup!
     The Spirit of Bartow Award winners will be announced the same evening and includes citizens who have gone above and beyond to make Bartow a better place to live. Nomination forms for all of these awards can be found here.
    I've got to mention the A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure's 7th Annual Chili Cook-off to benefit the United Way. It's not a Chamber event, but we help with it - it's such a worthy cause. Mark your calendars for November 4, 2016, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at ACT, 1875 W. Main Street, Bartow.
     The Hometown Heroes committee are planning a wonderful event for our local Veterans, to be held 11-11-16. Doors open for the luncheon at 11:00 a.m., with the program beginning at noon. This allows the Veterans and a guest to get a chance to speak with their peers. A speaker from MacDill's Special Ops unit will be on hand. Veterans and a guest are free; $25 for others, as space allows. Forms to register for the luncheon are available at the Chamber; or on the Chamber website. If you need assistance in obtaining a form, call the Chamber, 533-7125, and we'll make sure you get one; or click here to register online!
     There's lots more coming up - it's the busy season at the Chamber. Hope to see you at any or all of these great events.

Until next week,
Jennifer Hall

Your Chamber President, 2016

ROI ALERT TO ALL MEMBERS!
We've established a new perk to your membership. Now, as a member of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, you may include a promotional item for your business in the HELLO BARTOW! welcome baskets for new residents. PARTICIPATION IS FREE OF CHARGE! If you are interested, contact Barbara Adamson, Membership Director, (863) 533-7125, or reply to this email.

     The next Committee of 100 meeting is set for Friday, October 14,  2016, at 8:00 a.m.
      Committee of 100 meetings are held at the Health and Life Center (old hospital), 1239 E. Main Street. If you are interested in becoming a member of this prestigious group, contact Chairman Brian Hinton at 863-533-4196.

Click here for a complete listing of Committee of 100 members.

Real Estate
Emerald Realty LLC
Ms. Jimmie Pattey
Broker/Owner
605 S. Floral Ave.
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 712-3890
www.emeraldrealtyllc.homesandland.com

Entertainment/Educational Services/Video Production
The Edge Theatre Company, Inc.
Mr. Marcus Wehby, Executive Director
1367 Laurel Glen Dr., Bartow
(205) 243-0194, (863) 640-1029
www.edgetheatreco.org

Want to find a retail or service business? Click here.

WANT TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME
THE BUSINESS OF THE MONTH?
Contact Barbara Adamson, Membership Services,
863-533-7125 or email
barbara@bartowchamber.com
 

CHAMPIONS CUP
COMING UP: OCTOBER 20, 2016
NOMINATE FOR CHAMPIONS CUP AWARD HERE.
GUEST SPEAKER: Congressman Tom Rooney
Champions Cup was created to recognize and honor businesses and organizations that have championed exemplary best practices, and have had a positive influence on the economic well being of the area's business environment. Congratulations to the 2015 Champions Cup Winners! Here they are:

More than 250 people were on hand to see KEN RILEY and the BARTOW POLICE DEPARTMENT win Diversity Awards at last week's luncheon. Guest speaker Willie E. Gary urged Bartow to "keep doing what you're doing" to make Bartow a better place to live.

BARTOW FORD PRESENTS THE
CHAMBER GOLF SCRAMBLE:

Coming up in October is a very fun event, The Annual Chamber Golf Scramble, October 14, 2016, with a shotgun start of 1:00 p.m. Sign up your team today!

SPONSORS TO DATE:
GOLD SPONSORS: A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure, Evolve Professional Landscape Management, Tom Edwards Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
SILVER SPONSORS: Mosaic, Polk State College Foundation
BRONZE SPONSORS: Bank of Central Florida, BayCare Bartow Regional Medical Center, KC Bouchillon PA, CenterState Bank, City of Bartow, PalletOne Inc., Polk County Sun & Democrat, Polk Power, Spherion Staffing, State Farm Insurance Michell Githens, Stingray Chevrolet, Sunbelt Forest Products
PRIZE SPONSOR: ASHLAND
ON COURSE FOOD SPONSORS: CenterState Bank, Mosaic
CONTRIBUTORS: Beef O' Brady's, Cruise Planners, Spherion Staffing, Tim Jones Barbershop, The Villages at Laurel Meadows
HOLE COURTESY TENT: The Villages at Laurel Meadows

Don't miss some of the best chili this side of the Rio Grande! A-C-T's 7th Annual Chili Cookoff is November 4, 2016 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Chili Entries FREE! $10 AYCE Chili Lunch. Mark your calendars and we'll see you then! Sponsored by A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure, 1875 W. Main Street, Bartow. 100 percent of collected funds go directly to: UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. #ACTChili

CALLING ALL WALKERS: JOIN THE BARTOW HEART WALK!
 
“Let it not be said that we didn’t aim high”… on Saturday October 1^st, Larry Madrid wants at least two thousand and sixteen walkers in Bartow to participate with him in the 2016 Polk HeartWalk, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.  The event will begin at 7:30 AM in Mosaic Park, south of downtown Bartow, and will include a 5K walk/run through well shaded Mary Holland Park starting at 8:30.  “For the past few years, the Heartwalk has taken place at Joker Marchant Stadium in north Lakeland but due to ongoing construction improvements there, we’ve moved the event back to Bartow where it was for several years”, said Madrid, the Chairman of this years’ event.
 
The Polk Heartwalk  (www.polkheartwalk.org) is one of two major fundraiser events for the American Heart & Stroke Association (AHA).  Last year, about 1800 people from around the county participated.  “There’s a lot of energy at these events… music, announcements, opportunities to honor friends and loved ones, and of course the walking event itself.  There are plenty of reasons to come.  Subway is an event sponsor and they give away hundreds of free sub sandwiches; Walgreens likewise has free giveaways and will check your blood pressure.  This year you can get free instruction on CPR. Teams can compete with each other are formed ahead of time,  and they can get rowdy!  I love it!”  The event also has an Executive Challenge, where local business leaders compete against each other to get participation among their employees companies and also their suppliers, bankers, attorneys, subcontractors … anybody they do business with.  Getting the word out helps to raise funds, which are used to support research efforts and educate the public about the dangers of heart disease.
 
Madrid has a good reason to be involved – his mother-in-law, Emilie Bogner, died from heart failure in 2013 and he wants to honor her memory.  “My mother-in-law was a wonderful and loving person. If by walking and fundraising I can help somebody avoid having to go through heart failure, that would leave a great legacy to her. In addition, as a community leader, I would like to raise awareness of heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can improve our lives and make Polk County an even more attractive place to live, work and play.”  Madrid, president of Madrid Engineering Group, Inc., in Bartow, also wants his company to be an example of a small business making an impact on the community.  “We sometimes want to leave it to the big companies, with all their resources, to make an impact.  But I can tell you that small companies can make a big impact, too.  It’s about desire and commitment”, he said.
 
Jennifer Helriggle, area coordinator for the AHA, says she can help companies form teams and set goals, and will meet with them to organize their efforts.  “There is still plenty of time before the event so you can organize and do some serious fundraising and have some serious impact”, she said.   Her contact information; sponsorship information; and even a cool event fundraiser tracking app,  is available at www.polkheartwalk.org.

The Chamber's ENGAGE SERVES graduation of its inaugural class happened last Tuesday. The new Board Training Class is sponsored by A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure, Mosaic, Baylis & Company, and United Way of Central Florida. Graduates are (not in order)

Callie Neslund, Michael Harris, Scott Weaver, Jonathan Bowman, Noemi Alfaro, Nicholas Cardarelli, Andrea Clontz, Melissa Hay, David Walter, Tamara Pickles, Sarah Massey, Erica Drop, Miles Carr, Rebecca Duvall, Justin Crymes, Tanya Tucker, Tracy Kimbrough and Kathryn Bevilacqua-Ely.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 7:30 a.m., Chamber Boardroom
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
MORNING BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE
Plenty of coffee and fellowship with your fellow member business owners. Bring lots of business cards and give everyone two - one for them and one for a friend. Hope to see you there! NO REGISTRATION NECESSARY.

(All meetings are in the Chamber Boardroom unless otherwise noted.)

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday, September 28, 1:30 p.m.
DIPLOMAT BIRTHDAY GET TOGETHER

OCTOBER

Tuesday, October 11, 6:00 p.m.
MAIN STREET BARTOW ANNUAL EVENT:
THE ROASTING OF SL FRISBIE
Bartow Civic Center

Thursday, October 13
LEADERSHIP CULTURAL ARTS DAY

Thursday, October 13, 5:00 p.m.
KELLEY BUICK GMC FUN THURSDAY
255 W. Van Fleet Drive, Bartow

Friday, October 14, 1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start
CHAMBER GOLF SCRAMBLE
Bartow Golf Course

Tuesday, October 18, 3:45 p.m., 4:00 p.m.
BOARD / EXEC MEETING

Thursday, October 20, 6:00 p.m.
CHAMPIONS CUP AWARDS
Bartow Civic Center

Thursday, October 27, 4:00 p.m.
CRICKETTE CLUB PARADE & CARNIVAL

FRIDAY, November 4, Noon
A-C-T's CHILI COOKOFF
1875 W. Main Street, Bartow

Wednesday, November 9
HAPPY BIRTHDAY A-C-T, 30th YEAR!

Thursday, November 10
LEADERSHIP XVII EDUCATION DAY

Friday, November 11, 11:00 a.m.
HOMETOWN HEROES
Bartow Civic Center

Saturday, November 12
HONEY BEE FESTIVAL & FALL CRAFT FAIR

FOR A LIST OF COMMUNITY EVENTS LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE, CLICK HERE AND THEN CHOOSE "EVENTS"!