Dear Chamber Supporters:
Thanks for bearing with us as we switch up our timing this week. The holidays have everyone on slightly different schedules, so we sent out both newsletters a couple of days early. Whether you're reading this Wednesday or next Monday as you return to work, hope all is well!
Nominations for Local Honors Open
Every year our Chamber has the opportunity to honor five individuals at our Annual Banquet for their exemplary work in their given field. The process to nominate those individuals is now open (click here for more info). The five areas covered are our Smile of the Year award, given to an individual whose smile brightens our community. The Horizon award is given to an up-and-coming leader in our community who is involved in Chamber activities. The Entrepreneur of the Year is given to an individual/individuals who have found success running their own small business. The Community Builder award is for an individual who plays an active role in making our area a better place to live and work through their efforts in their role. Lastly, our Russell Crites award goes to an individual deserving of the highest honor, someone who has left a legacy through the work that has been done through their efforts in the past handful of years.
I hope these descriptions make you think of someone who would be worth nominating. This process has been made easier as all the forms can be found on our website and can be filled out electronically… no printing and scanning back to our office like in past years. I’m hopeful that this change will reduce entry barriers to those who may not have nominated others in the past. Once these nominations close on December 18, the nominating committee, made up of previous Russell Crites winners, will gather to make a decision. We're so glad we can honor these movers and shakers in our community. Make sure to submit your nominations before the 18th to be considered!
Feeding Change in Franklin County
Monday night the Frontier District Extension Office hosted community members to join in on a food systems round table discussion (pictures here). The goal of the roundtable was to help K-State Research and Extension staff better understand the great work that has already been done in our community related to local foods, areas where we are struggling to make progress, and what resources are needed to improve our local food system. The information collected from the roundtables held across the state will help inform the development of new K-State Research & Extension programs related to local food systems. This dialogue around our local food system incorporates those that produce food (farmers and ranchers), to those who prepare it, distribute it, sell it, and consume it... and just about everything in between.
Some of the conversations revolved around consumers’ access to healthy options, education in households about cooking/nutrition, community programming that revolves around food, and what a food hub/coop would look like in our community. Lots of big ideas were brought forward to talk about what progress might look like in our community. As well as ways that we should be looking to improve our processes or add additional efforts to fill in gaps that currently exist. If you would like to have an opportunity to weigh in your opinion, there will be a virtual roundtable available on the 5th and 7th of December (click here to RSVP).
Lights, Camera, Ottawa
Every three years our Chamber has engaged in creating videos that discuss the many facets of Ottawa and Franklin County that we think are great talking points for those unfamiliar with our community. The topics include quality of life, education, and housing. We also were able to produce videos specifically for Legacy Square and our Chamber as well. This process involves writing out scripts and filming with professional videographers for a couple of days. After that, the company we partner with edits and works with our staff on how we want the finished product to look. We would have just finished these videos a couple of weeks ago and can now proudly show them on our website home page here (here is a direct link to the videos). We’re very thankful for our different members who participate in these shots, whether for an interview or simply allowing us to use the inside of your store. We hope that these quick snapshots of our area find individuals who are visiting either for a day or looking to permanently move to our community (maybe these are informative for those who live inside our community as well). We know as we move forward through this technological era, mediums like these are just one more way we can share our story. The Chamber is proud to market our community to our region, we think it’s a pretty great place to live, work, and play.
Giving Thanks at Full Throttle
On Monday of this week Victory Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Ottawa jumped into the Thanksgiving spirit through their 6th annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway. Kallan LaForge and his team handed out 200 turkey meals (sides and everything) to all those who drove through Monday afternoon. As a result, 23rd Street ended up getting backed up on both ends from the excitement (pictures here). OPD had to step in and make sure through traffic could make their way past the cars waiting for the giveaway to start. The event line was able to start moving at 4:30pm… cars started lining up just after 2pm! As a result, all the meals were handed out in 40 minutes, a record time. What a great way to give back each year from Victory! This program also took place at their new dealership in Garnett, Victory Ford, handing out another 200 meals. 400 households within Anderson and Franklin County will be able to experience Thanksgiving in a way that may have otherwise been impossible. What a great example of the spirit of giving.
Gobble on the Streets
If you weren’t downtown today to see the wild turkeys roaming the streets, check them out here... "There were no turkeys injured in the making of this food drive". The voices of our local KOFO radio station made a commitment to “turkey up” as a wager during the Franklin County Cancer Foundation fundraiser this past October. Thankfully for all of us they stayed true to their word! They also did it for a great cause, originally raising money for FCCF, and now collecting food for their local food drive. This donated food will be split between ECKAN and Hope House, which will then get spread into the community. Thank goodness it’s not turkey season…
Light up the Holiday Season Saturday
Don’t forget to bring the whole family down for the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade this Saturday afternoon. I’d recommend a good bundling up as this event has historically been quite chilly… This weekend looks to be following suit. Prior to the lighting, there will be festivities for the whole family to enjoy. Immediately following the lights getting turned on, the Christmas Parade will make its way down Main Street (organized by the Ottawa Main Street Association). A merry gentleman in a red suit will be leading the parade and will make his way back to Haley Park for pictures and to take requests from kids after the parade concludes. We look forward to kicking off the holiday season this Saturday with you! In the meantime, have a safe and fun Thanksgiving. May your heart and tummy be full this Thursday!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
