Dear Chamber Supporters:
This was a short week for me here in the office with family travels and the 4th of July. The Millers survived our Oklahoma trip together, picture here as proof. It was great playing games, swimming and long talks about memories/how much we’ve grown over the years. Each night we designated time to go through prompts to learn more about each other. On the final night we all agreed we felt more in tune with who we’ve all become… as my siblings and I have grown into adults/our parents have transitioned into empty nesters. We now have even more memories to reminisce about when we all get together!
4th of July Celebration
We made it back into town just in time for the 4th of July celebrations. The festivities started early in Forest Park as the Franklin County Cancer Foundation hosted their annual 5k and pancake feed (pictures here). They mentioned there were almost 200 participants in the walk/run, a great turnout. All the proceeds of the fundraiser go back to helping those in Franklin County who are experiencing the challenges that come with cancer. Check out this graphic here of how they utilize their funds annually. It is incredible the way this organization is able to utilize volunteers to keep down their overhead to give back a lion’s share to those Franklin County residents in need! If you are interested in volunteering for the FCCF, call 785-242-6703 for more info.
The fun spread all the way into the evening as well, with food trucks gathering in Forest Park and the City Band playing patriotic music before dusk (picture here). And of course the annual fireworks display (pictures here)! It goes without saying that it takes a tremendous amount of manual labor to set up, shoot, and tear down this portion of the event. It cannot be possible without the help of City employees and annual volunteers (pictured here). THANK YOU to all those who gave their time and energy to entertain our community and all those who traveled into town to watch the show. It is also important to note that through the fundraising efforts of the Chautauqua Festival committee, these donors helped financially support the fireworks show. If you would like to contribute for next year, you’re always welcome to write a check or donate online. If you think you’re interested in being part of the shoot, I can get you connected that way as well. We couldn’t do it without help from a whole host of community support!
Representative Sharice Davids
Our 3rd District Congressional Representative Sharice Davids was in our community yesterday making a handful of stops. I was able to join her and the AdventHealth Ottawa crew for a tour of our local hospital (picture here). Dallas Purkeypile and his staff were able to show off their Emergency Room/Trauma Center, telehealth ICU rooms, and baby birthing place. Before heading to the hospital, Sharice and her team were able to check out Neosho County Community College and our Walmart Distribution Center. It is important to let those who represent us in Washington know who we are and our needs/values. You can have an opportunity to talk to her staff on a monthly basis when they do “pop-ups” in town, they will be meeting at City Hall this coming Monday the 10th (more info here). We were able to also talk about a couple of possible dates in August when she can come and meet with citizens, I’ll make sure those dates are posted once finalized. Sharice shared that she serves on the House Agriculture Committee where she is working on the Farm Bill. It was interesting to hear her perspective on how she has been able to help educate other Democratic Representatives on the challenges that Kansas farmers face. This is due to her serving an area that includes both rural and urban areas, exposing her to information that some of her constituents may not have in their districts. She added that when legislation gets brought up that would negatively affect rural agriculture, it is almost never because of malice, but through a lack of understanding or recollection that it could do harm. I thought this was an insightful perspective to share… I imagine we see this in other aspects of life outside of politics as well. It definitely stresses the importance of having different voices around the table when discussing adaptive challenges!
Sherri Travels
Sherri has been back for a couple of weeks now from her Alaskan travels. I still wanted to share some of the things she was able to see while she and Dan were in the 49th state (pictures here). If you haven’t yet realized, Sherri is quite the world traveler, having visited over a dozen countries from China, Italy, Egypt and in this case Canada/Alaska. Many of her travels have been possible through the annual Chamber Trips where individuals in our community and elsewhere come together in a foreign land for tours, sightseeing and general adventure. If you have not heard, this November her group will be headed to southern England (brochure here). There are spots still available if you are interested, though the deadline is the fast-approaching August 1st. We are also happy to announce that through a partnership with one of the Chamber’s Bronze Sponsors, Dream Vacations – Kristin Randall, we will be heading to Africa in 2024! You can check out more information on what the trip will entail here… a truly once and a lifetime opportunity. If you would like to learn more about this 2024 trip in person, we will be having an informational meeting at Neosho County Community College where you can soak in info as well as ask questions on the itinerary and general travel. This will be taking place this coming Tuesday June 11th at 5:30pm, here is a Zoom link if you would rather join remotely. We would love for you to join us on both or either traveling abroad opportunities!
Plenty of Chamber events on the horizon, check out our Thursday events newsletter or Chamber events calendar for what’s on the horizon for July. We currently have three Ribbon Cuttings, one After-Hours, and a Coffee scheduled for this month alone. We would love to see you there ? Talk to you soon,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
