May 18, 2018

Welcome New Members!

Rend Lake Fitness
Pam Dorris
Website
Join Date: 05/02/2018
 

Member Updates


During the month of May, First Financial Bank wil lb e conducting a food drive to benefit Crosswalk Community Action Agency!  To learn more, stop by First Financial Bank!

Member Updates

May is National Bike Month!

To celebrate, stop by Cycle1 Cycling Studio to see their new selection of bikes and accessories!  Bike repair and service also available! 
  

Southern Illinois Made Expo this July!


Are you a business who would like to spotlight your locally made items? Register now! Chamber members enjoy a booth discount - prices start at $50!! Call 618-438-2121 for more details or register online!

Opioid Epidemic & Your Business


The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic.
 Opioids (including prescription and illicit opioids) killed more than 33,000 Americans in 2015—which is nearly quadruple the number from 2000.

Learn how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to protect individuals and families—including your employees and your business—from this dangerous problem.
FOUR CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING EMPLOYERS


Bags Tournament @ Farm City Days

Day Camp @ Camp Manitowa

ChamberNation Tutorials


Are you interested in making the most of your ChamberNation membership portal?  Contact the chamber office for an on-=site tutorial or check out the HelpDesk portal for step-by-step instructions.

New Opportunities!


Are you looking for new employment or volunteer opportunities?  Check out the Chamber Opportunity Board!  Start a new chapter in your community!

Generation Books


Generations of Memories Books are available for purchase at the Chamber Office, Flowers by Dave, Heartland Office Supply, and the Buzz.
Pick up yours today!

Contact Us!

Benton/West City Area Chamber of Commerce
211 N. Main St. Benton, IL 62812
P.O. Box 574 Benton, IL 62812
618-438-2121     info@bentonwestcitychamber.com
www.BentonWestCityChamber.com

Public Health Notice & Instructions for Consumers


Public Health Notice & Instructions for Consumers:

The system will be on a boil water order until Intercity Water receives test results showing that the water is safe to drink. 

More information...

Above and Beyond Businesses


What business went above and beyond during our area-wide water shortage crisis?  Contact the chamber office with your stories and we would like to profile these businesses over the coming weeks.  Thank you to everyone who worked together to conserve our local water supply!!

Chamber Quarterly Luncheon: Marketing to Millennials


Thank you to everyone who came out to the Quarterly Luncheon on Wednesday.  It was hosted by the City of Benton and the presentation was done by Tom Harness.  You can check out the live feed of the presentation on the Chamber's FaceBook Group Page - this page is separate from our public Facebook Page.
Presentation Handout

Rend Lake Water Festival - Thank You!


The Rend Lake Water Festival Committee would like to thank everyone for their sponsorship and support of this year's event.  This year's parade was the largest in years with over 1000 participants thrilling the crowd.  The carnival was well attended with record crowds on Saturday evening.  Many of our attendees traveled to our area for the festival, and they enjoyed live music and activities we had to offer.  Many thanks to our event sponsors: Legence Bank, WQRL 106.3, US Bank, Cycle1Cycling Studio, Fifth Seasons Assisted Living, State Bank of Whittington and the City of Benton.

Check out all the Winners, Event Survey, and Information from the Event.

Rend Lake Fitness: 24 Hour Access Grand Opening


Join Rend Lake Fitness from 10am to 1pm on May 19, 2018 for their Grand Opening of a 24 hour access gym and will include demonstrations of CrossFit, Body Burn, and Yoga classes. There will be bouncy houses for the kids and mini competitions for prizes and fun for everyone.

Chamber / Rotary Golf Scramble:June 15


The 2018 Chamber / Rotary Golf Scramble is a great day out on the links with friends to kick off the Father's Day weekend.  Be part of the event through sponsorship, goodies in the registration bags, or play in the scramble!!  Learn more here!

Golf Scramble Event Information

5 team spots are available, don't miss out to join in the fun!
Team Registration

Join Us at the Rend Lake Fireworks!


The Rend Lake Fireworks will be taking place on June 30th, 2018.  Join us in planning this amazing event!  The first event meeting will be on May 14th at 11:30am at LaFiesta.

Live2Lead Registration Open With Member Discounts

The Marion Chamber of Commerce is hosting Live2Lead simulcast event this year in Marion. They offer a great discount to members of their Chamber and they would like to extend that discount to members of our Chamber. 
 
Here are the ticket prices:
Early bird (May 1 -  July 31): Member Cost $65
Regular ticket sales (Aug 1 – Oct 19): Member Cost $99 
Late ticket sales (Oct 20-26): Member Cost $129

No tickets will be sold after October 26

Registration Information!

Childcare Assistance Resources


Too many low- to moderate-income, working parents are going without the child care help for which they qualify. Many might not know of its availability. Others might be aware of it, but wary after two years of turmoil related to the state’s budget impasse and sharp cuts in eligibility – cuts that ReadyNation and a bipartisan group of legislators and allies helped to reverse last August. So, to help increase working parents’ awareness of the child care program, we’ve developed a one-page flyer you can find at this link. It briefly describes the services available, and notes where parents can call or check online to see if they are eligible to participate.
 
If you are an employer or manager, please consider:
  • Posting this flyer in break rooms
  • Including it with “onboarding” materials for new hires
  • Sharing it with human resources execs
  • Publicizing it in employee newsletters

Member Events

Sean Canan's Voodoo Farm Aid
05/18/2018- 05/19/2018
Camp Manitowa
12770 North Benton Rd
Benton, IL 62812

Grand Opening of 24 Hour Access at Rend Lake CrossFit
05/19/2018
Rend Lake Fitness
1202 Blakely St
Benton, IL 62812

Knit and Crochet @ the Library
05/22/2018
Benton Public Library
502 South Main
Benton, IL 62812

Story Time at the Library
05/23/2018
Benton Public Library
502 S Main St.
Benton, IL 62812

Who Wants to Murder a Millionaire
05/26/2018
Pheasant Hollow Winery
14931 IL-37
Whittington, IL 62897

Illinois Concealed Carry Course - Free Veterans Course
05/26/2018
Extreme Exigency Shooting Park
9911 River Bend Road
Benton, IL 62812

Events in the Community

Check out other community activities and submit events here!

Share Your News!


Do you have a special announcement or product you would like to showcase?  Let us know so we can share it with everyone!  Email the chamber office information and a picture!
Chamber E-Newsletter - May 18, 2018