Chamber gala set for Saturday

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    The Houlton Chamber of Commerce will be transforming the Houlton Lodge of Elks into “Under the Tuscan Sun” on Saturday for its annual dinner gala and 2011 annual meeting.
    “The setting will be created with special lighting, fabulous floral arrangements and scenes reflecting Tuscany,” said Lori Weston, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. “It is truly a gala event, one where membership is waited on and honored.”
    The evening brings the membership together for dining and recognition of the top business and community leaders, as well as a brief business meeting and auction. The auction will begin after the awards ceremony.
    “The auction concludes the evening and is always a lot of fun,” Weston said. “The auction items are provided by our very generous members.”
    Auctioneer for the event is Kent Good.
    An important part of the evening is recognizing individuals and businesses who stood out in the community the last year as “Business of the Year,” “Lifetime Achievement,” “Community Spirit” and “Community Service.”
    “Letters were sent out to our membership for nominations,” explained Weston. “Each individual or business had certain criteria to meet. The returned nomination forms are remarkable and so descriptive of the folks being nominated. The nominees are all worthy of recognition and for all of the reasons describing them.
    “Our community is full of exceptional people who do extraordinary things, all of the time,” she added.
    The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual(s) for a lifetime of constant community contributions. It’s about the actions, achievements and contributions of the person(s) that evoke admiration and respect throughout the community and beyond. Receiving this special acknowledgment are Ed and Dawn Degenhardt.
    Criteria for Business of the Year included business growth and improvement; quality customer service; staying power within the community; overall excellence in the marketplace; community contributions and major achievements within the business field. The award will be presented to Elm Tree Diner.
    Nominations for the Community Spirit Award honor an individual who has shown extraordinary community spirit through acts of volunteerism or any other manner of contribution to the area. The recipient of this honor is Rae Johnston.
    The Community Service Award identifies a group who consistently contributes to the community in any manner that has improved the quality of life to its community members through services or programs. Receiving this distinction is the Houlton Volunteer Fire Department.
    The gala dinner is for Chamber members and their guests only. The night begins with social hour at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 7 p.m. The Award Presentation is at 8 p.m.
    “We are celebrating our membership,” said Weston. “This event is all about them.”