As we know with Thanksgiving approaching it’s a time for reuniting with family and friends and giving thanks for our blessings. Especially when looking back over the past 12 – 18 months, we recognize that for many there existed a lot of sorrow, pain and loss. A friend just recently quoted something to me and after this past year it really hit home:
“This is not the year to get everything you want; this is the year to appreciate everything you have.”
This is so true not just for me but for many of us. So take a moment and look around and appreciate all that you have and remember there are so many with much less.
Fortunately, it’s always nice this time of the year to kick off the month with our Breakfast Club networking surrounded by our Chamber family and friends. This month we experienced our largest turnout since our pre -COVID days and it was great to see the 30 + Chamber members mingling amongst one another and enjoying some great conversation while also enjoying their morning coffee and breakfast. This morning networking is one of the staples of the Chamber and it can only get better if others decide to join us. How about you?!
As you may remember, we had a very enjoyable outside Multi-Chamber networking event at the Stone Zoo on October 6 and followed that up shortly after with another terrific gathering - The Chamber Annual Meeting.
The Chamber Annual Meeting was held October 13th outside under the tent at Prince Restaurant and it was quite the festive affair. While it was a slight change from the more formal style of annual meeting, the value and content was what mattered most and that still remained unchanged. Without a doubt the meeting certainly met the expectations of all and it was quite a fun filled and enjoyable evening.
We would like to “Congratulate” the night's award winners:
New Business of the Year – Creations Coffee – Olivia Kahn & Tanner Spees
Chamber “Super” Supporter of the Year – Ed Harding, HD Physical Therapy
Jim Chisholm Business Leadership Award – Chris Barrett, Christopher J. Barrett’s Realtors
If you would like to enjoy additional pictures from the annual meeting please click on the link below.
On Sunday October 24, the Chamber in partnership with Wakefield Main Streets and the Town of Wakefield worked together bringing the greater Wakefield Community a fall festival which was appropriately named “Fall in Love with Wakefield.” It was an absolutely beautiful autumn afternoon filled with live musical entertainment, children’s games, a “Touch a Truck” area, a beer garden and much more! Hopefully you were able to participate and take advantage of this wonderful fall event.
The Chamber would like to acknowledge and thank the Town of Wakefield, especially Erin Kokinda, Community and Economic Development Director, Jennifer McDonald, Content and Communications Manager, Town Administrator Steve Maio and The Main Streets organization-without their help and assistance this event would not have been possible.
The Chamber also welcomed a number of new members and most recently held a ribbon cutting to introduce and welcome Candarellas & HealthyNut– 24 Vernon Street, owners Jennifer Foley and Candice Fitzpatrick.
As I hope you are aware by now, the Chamber is once again promoting the importance of supporting local businesses. This year’s promotion is called “SHOP LOCAL SATURDAYS”! This promotion for local businesses will run on alternating weekends straight through to the month of December. We are encouraging all to shop at local merchants anywhere in the Town of Wakefield. Then for every $50 spent by an individual with one of our local Wakefield merchants during one of our “Shop Local Saturdays” they will be awarded a $10 gift coupon from the Chamber. This coupon can then be used at any one of almost 30 participating restaurants. Please see Chamber website for the most up to date list of participating local Wakefield restaurants.
Stay safe everyone,
John
