On October 19th, the Chamber celebrated another year of serving the Kodiak Business Community. Thanks to all who came to celebrate and honor award winners with us!
Bella Aqua photography did a great job capturing the photographic evidence of the evening of fun. To see the full array your mission is to click
this link
!
Glenn Reed, the President of Pacific Seafood Processors Association, was the Master of Ceremonies and Guest Speaker of the evening along with assitance from Sarah Phillips.
Naturally, this sold out event wouldn't have been possible without our generous Chamber Sponsors: Best Western, Alaska Aerospace, KVOK | Hot 101.1, Alaska Airlines, Kodiak Lions Club, Lynden Transport, World Wide Movers, Koniag, Matson, KANA, BP, Leisnoi, Kodiak Daily Mirror, Providence, Kodiak Athletic Club, Arctic Chiropractic, Bella Aqua Photography, and the Frame Shop.
Business of the Year Award - KVOK & Hot 101.1
The business of the year award recognizes a Chamber member who, in the process of conducting their business, promotes the goals and objectives of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce.
This year we were happy to recognize KVOK & Hot 101.1 – The KVOK staff has shown a complete commitment to promotion of the Chamber over the last year and beyond. KVOK donates and assists the Chamber with the weekly radio show News & Views where members have the opportunity share their news and promotions at no cost. During the weeks without a business speaker scheduled, the KVOK team is quick to offer great recommendations to keep the show consistent with relevancy. The team is also committed to keeping ads from the Chamber timely and relevant, often offering opportunities to reach the community in new ways to promote membership, shop local campaigns, and of course the many Chamber events.
The KVOK team is not simply limited to assisting the Chamber, they genuinely work to promote an economically sound community, often donating to and participating in the core of many community events, assisting with promotion, and reaching out to businesses to promote the very best of Kodiak.
Volunteer of the Year Award - Kathie Morin
Each year this is given to a Chamber member to recognize their dedication to improving the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and the Kodiak community.
Our recipient this year is Kathie Morin. Kathie has given her time to the Chamber for numerous years for many projects, but none more so than Crab Festival. She spent hour after hour in the Crab Fest headquarters selling merchandise, distributing information, and being a general go-to-person. While she wasn’t at the Chamber booth, she was at the Lions booth, helping out for the parade, lying flowers in the graveyard for a memorial service, helping at the parade, or assisting in the arm-wrestling competition. Really Kathie, is there anything you didn’t help with at Crab Fest?
Kathie is an avid Kodiak Lions Club member but can be found helping any organization in need. Not only is Kathie quick to volunteer, Kathie is quick to find others to volunteer with her contagious attitude toward service. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to serve with Kathie in any of her many volunteer capacities, you know that she does far more than her share and is completely deserving of this award.
Service Organization of the Year Award - Kodiak Elks & KAMP
Presented to an organization in recognition of their dedication to the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and Kodiak community through their consistent programs and initiatives to make Kodiak a better place to live and work.
This year we are recognizing two organizations. One well established organization, and another newer organization that has made great strides in a short time.
Kodiak Elks have been in Kodiak since 1956 and has continued to be a Kodiak staple since then. The Kodiak Elks have sponsored many youth related activities over the years including scouting programs, little league baseball and Kodiak Youth Hockey, D.A.R.E., and maintained the Camp Mueller Youth Facility to name a few. The Elks Lodge has long been a community gathering place, whether in the large upstairs rooms or the bowling alley and lounge. The Elks often host public events such as during Mother’s Day, Crab Fest, Veterans Day, concerts, and other special occasions and holidays throughout the year.
Kodiak Area Mentor Program, commonly known as KAMP, is a relatively new nonprofit organization in Kodiak that has done great things in its short-lived history since 2014. KAMP is a faith-based volunteer program to build mentoring relationship with individuals in need of overcoming setbacks. KAMP meets weekly building support systems to break the cycle of addictions, hurts, and other unhealthy behaviors. This all volunteer organization visits people in jail, assists family members afflicted by unhealthy behaviors, and works towards recoveries. As part of the Mayor’s Summit and now Community Coalition with collaboration with other non-profit social service agencies, KAMP has had testimonials on people’s successes and the group provides support groups for parents of addicts, women’s Krafts and women’s celebration recovery step study group. KAMP hosts Friday night support meetings and even provides childcare for those who need it.
Member of the Year Award – Kodiak Police Department
This award is presented to a Chamber Member who through their actions, efforts, and energy has shown an unfailing commitment to bettering the Kodiak community and to promoting the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and its programs.
This year we have chosen Kodiak Police Department for their unfailing support efforts of the Chamber and Kodiak Community. Many of you know that the Chamber hosted the first Annual Venture-Thru-Vehicles this year, but the idea was conceived and brought to the Chamber by KPD’s very own Shane Parker. Shane, along with KPD wanted to offer Kodiak a new event downtown to bring the community together and discover the working vehicles of Kodiak, a side of Kodiak many of us forget. Through partnership with KPD, Shane’s idea came to fruition, and has become a new Kodiak event.
Kodiak Police Department’s service to the Chamber is not limited to Venture-Thru-Vehicles, KPD actively sits on the Crab Festival Committee, consistently patrolling the area, promoting events, providing roadblocks, and clearing areas of parking before our big events. Beloved community event simply wouldn’t happen without the efforts and extra hours of the Kodiak Police Department.
Naturally, the KPD does so much more for the community than their regular duties and helping the Chamber: School visits, safety tips for businesses and the community, “Pie A Cop” for relay for life, bicycle rodeos,
Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics Alaska, fostering dogs in dispatch, the St. Jude’s Radiothon, downtown trick-or-treat, and maintaining a rockin’ Facebook page! Seriously, KPD is absolutely everywhere!
Cornerstone Award – Cost Savers
The cornerstone award is presented to a Chamber Member that through their history of service have truly established themselves as a cornerstone of the community.
The beginning of this year marked a tough time for the community of Kodiak, the Federal Government shutdown negatively impacted many Kodiak residents. During that time, Barb and Al Large made significant donations to food pantries throughout Kodiak, and although they didn’t have base access, they reached out to their contacts to be sure the base food pantry even received not only the resources they needed, but also extra treats. These donations came at a time when Cost Savers was making less profits than they needed but sacrificed even more to help the community. Cost Savers is just one example of the phenomenal businesses and people within Kodiak.
Cost Savers is being honored, not just because of one major act of generosity over many missed paychecks, but because of their continual pattern of generosity. Whether encouraging the community to don ugly Christmas Sweaters, sponsoring clubs and organizations, giving gallons of last-minute bottled water to help Community Clean Up Efforts, or finding those bulk items we all find ourselves in desperate need of! Cost Savers is rooted in the Kodiak Community.
President’s Award – Aimee Williams & Sarah Phillips
The President’s Award is presented to a Chamber member or individual who gives back to the Kodiak Community while promoting economic growth and development of business.
Aimee was honored with the President's Award because of her consistent and unfailing commitment to the Chamber, serving on the board, heading the Small Business Committee, and tireless volunteer work which is in addition to her Discover Kodiak projects including the first Adjust Your Altitude Challenge, inspiring the Kodiak Community and visitors alike to explore our beautiful island trails!
Director’s Award – Camilla Jordan
The Director’s Award is presented to an individual with unfailing commitment to the success of the Chamber of Commerce.
As many of you know, the Chamber operates with a small staff of three, that for a few months this year was actually only two. We are honoring Camilla Jordan because although she is not actually a member with the Chamber she has stepped in multiple times throughout the year to lend a hand whenever needed. She spent countless hours folding crab fest shirts, resulting in what we're calling folder’s elbow, painstakingly ironed chair sashes, and stepped in to decorate and hand out door prizes at the Coast Guard Appreciation Dinner. Many of you have probably already been proposition and pressured to buy split-the-pot tickets from her at a Chamber event. She really is the Vana White of split-the-pot, and we wouldn’t have nearly the scholarship funds for the year without her!
