Wednesday, October 9, 2024

GKC to Honor Representative Derek Kilmer with Hyas Tyee at Annual Business Awards Gala

The Greater Kitsap Chamber Board of Directors is proud to announce the selection of Representative Derek Kilmer of the 6th Congressional District of Washington as this year's Hyas Tyee honoree. Retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives this coming January after 12 years in office, Kilmer has been a long-time advocate for the people and communities of the 6th District which includes the Kitsap Peninsula, the Olympic Peninsula and most of the City of Tacoma.

The Chamber's Hyas Tyee Award seeks to recognize individuals for significant leadership positions, contributions to the community and for serving as an exemplary role model for others. Representative Kilmer will be honored at the 3rd Annual Business Awards Gala on November 1st at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort.

Get Your Tickets Now for the

2024 Business Awards Gala

Sponsorships Still Available for Gala

Elevate your business or organization at this annual gathering of who's who in Kitsap business!

Interested in elevating your business' exposure in the community? Looking to put your name on this year's Gala? Looking to bring a table-full of attendees? We have sponsorships available for all sizes of businesses across all industries that will provide a level of elevation in the Greater Kitsap business community like no other event. Interested in sponsoring or purchasing an ad in the Gala program? Contact Events Coordinator, Tiffany Diamond, to secure your sponsorship or ad space today!

Chamber Night @ Seattle Sounders

Saturday, October 19, 2024

October Membership Luncheon

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 11:00 am

We're so excited to welcome Bittina Sheen, Co-Owner of Away With Words Book Shop in Poulsbo, and Social Media Manager for Windermere Real Estate, where she has also served as a business blogger and email marketing coordinator. As a small-business owner and marketing professional, Bittina understands the need to do all the marketing and advertising things for her business, but how do we actually do all the things? Learn tips from this busy professional on how to get things done, support your own small business, (run a film festival), and still make time to connect with loved ones. An insightful Chamber luncheon you won't want to miss!

This month's luncheon will be held at the Kitsap Golf & Tennis Club.

Chamber launches new benefit in partnership with Crunch Fitness!

We are so excited to announce this new wellness opportunity for our business community: beginning August 2024, members of the Greater Kitsap Chamber and their employees can now enjoy discounted gym memberships at Crunch Fitness in Silverdale. For more information on how to redeem this benefit, contact Irene at the Chamber. Special thanks to General Manager, Haaken Larsen, for bringing this opportunity to our membership!

It’s time to get the most out of your insurance.

With Business Health Trust, you’ll have access to:

• More choices – more than 80 medical plans from the most respected carriers in the state
• More value – all plans come with mental health and virtual care coverage, plus innovative ancillary benefits to suit your needs
• More support – with concierge level customer service and comprehensive plan administration
• More savings – enjoy discounts on transit, IT & HR support, plus savings on dining, shopping, travel and more
• More peace of mind – we’ve got you covered!

Before you renew this year, be sure to benchmark your benefits with BHT – and see for yourself how BHT has helped over 1,000 businesses with their employee benefits.

Ready to build your benefits plan? Email quote@businesshealthtrust.com to learn more and get a free quote. 

New Members - Welcome to the Chamber!

24K Gold Make-Up Event @ Seaport Salon

Friday, October 11, 2024

Stand Up for Kids Food Drive

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Noo-Kayet Investments Seeks Contractor for Gliding Eagle Drive-Thru Cafe

Noo-Kayet Investments has recently released an RFP for a design-bid-build project in North Kitsap. If you are interested in submitting a proposal to them, please click the link below for full details.

The Noo-Kayet Investments Board of Directors is made up of both Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal members as well as non-members. The Directors have diverse backgrounds and skill sets which allow for various view points and perspectives. The Board of Directors have the responsibility of setting the direction and strategy for Noo-Kayet Investments along with the fiduciary oversight of all Enterprises.

Get Your Insurance Quote Now from BHT

Nominate Now for 20 Under 40

Bremerton Foodline

Open House & Ribbon Cutting

Friday, October 18, 2024, 6:00 pm

Unique Live/Workspace Offerings

at Marina Square Bremerton

Mark Your Calendar: Friday, November 15th

Mystic Mvmnt Celebrates 5 Years

Unique Experience Custom Embroidery

www.uniqueexperience1.com

Advocacy Committee

Join us Next Week: Eggs & Issues

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 8:00 am

Join us on October 15th as we welcome Senate and House candidates from both the 35th and 23rd Legislative Districts. Hear from these community leaders on what their plans are in the Washington State Legislature and how it will impact voters across Kitsap County.

Enjoy a limited breakfast selection available for purchase at the Cloverleaf.

We'll see you Tuesday morning at 8:00 am! Doors open for breakfast at 7:00 am.

Business & Professional Development Committee

SCORE: QuickBooks Online Basics

Friday, October 11, 2024, 9:00 am

Are you an aspiring or established business owner looking to get started with QuickBooks? Are you trying to figure out what you’re doing but keep getting lost? Do you like bagels? Well, then this is the workshop for you!

Who You Are: Although anyone interested in QuickBooks is welcome to take this workshop, it is designed for aspiring and established business owners looking to learn the basics.

What To Have When You Sign onto Zoom: You will need your laptop and possibly power cable. We will be performing exercises together using a sample QuickBooks Online data file.

What You Will Learn: In this SCORE workshop, you will learn how to use QuickBooks Online to record your daily business transactions. (No QuickBooks signup required!)

Subjects covered include:

• Customer sales and payments
• Supplier purchases and payments
• Banking and Chart of Accounts
• Reporting from QuickBooks Online
• Best practices and common mistakes

Please note that this workshop is only training on QuickBooks Online and not QuickBooks Desktop.

Workshop Fee: FREE

Lightning Talk @ Vibe CoWorks

Collaborative Philanthropy - Partnerships Between Businesses and Nonprofits

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 11:30 am

Join us in October for real talk with 3 local entrepreneurs, here to share their entrepreneurial journey, including all the highs and lows, the roadblocks they’ve encountered, and the support that has made a difference.

Come ready to listen, learn, find new inspiration, and reflect on what it really means to ‘support local businesses’ in meaningful ways, including especially those that are minority-owned. Leave your ego at the door, and engage in authentic conversations from peers who are in the trenches and 'doing the thing', battle scars and all. 

Informal conversation and networking begins at 11:30am. Lightning talks begin at 12pm and end promptly at 1pm. Advanced RSVP is requested but not required.

SBA Hosts Small Business Cyber Summit

October 16 & 23, 2024

Join us virtually on October 16 and October 23, 2024, for the SBA Cyber Summit, your premier destination for mastering cybersecurity in the small business landscape. This invaluable event is completely free to register and attend!

Discover cutting-edge strategies and solutions from a diverse lineup of experts, including top cybersecurity specialists, business coaches, peer entrepreneurs, Federal and state program managers, and leading corporate technologists. Gain actionable insights, practical advice, and hands-on guidance tailored to the unique needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Don't miss this opportunity to secure your business's future and connect with industry leaders who can help you navigate the complex world of cybersecurity. Reserve your spot today and empower your business with the knowledge and tools to thrive in a digital age!

Kitsap Community Foundation: Estate Planning

Thursday, October 17, 2024, 10:00 am

Estate Planning 101: Protecting the people, pets and causes you love

Kitsap Universalist Unitarian Fellowship

4418 Perry Ave, Bremerton

During this complimentary session, you will learn about:

• Estate Planning and why it's important;
• Four estate planning documents everyone should have;
• Wills – Maintaining control of your assets during your lifetime;
• Trusts – Save on taxes while passing down assets;
• Donor-Advised Funds – Donate, get an immediate tax benefit, support causes on your timeline;
• Life Insurance – Protecting your beneficiaries and supporting your favorite causes tax-free
• FreeWill.com/kitsapfoundation – Creating your will for free in just 20 minutes

You are welcome (and encouraged) to bring guests and advisors. 

Seating is limited. Please RSVP by clicking the button below or call 360.698.3622. 

KEDA Fall Forum

Thursday, October 24, 2024, 2:00 pm

Washington Retail & Partners Introduce

Organized Retail Crime Resource Hub

Courtesy of the Washington Retail Association

WR, in partnership with Challenge Seattle and WAORCA, is proud to unveil the Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Resource Hub. This online platform was developed to combat the increasing threat of organized retail theft by providing a centralized source of resources, tools, and best practices for retailers, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.

The ORC Resource Hub allows users, from retailers to prosecutors, to access training materials, share information across jurisdictions, and implement coordinated efforts to prevent, detect, and prosecute ORC. By streamlining communication and centralizing critical resources, this tool supports safer communities and more efficient crime prevention. 

We have designed the ORC Resource Hub with a widget tool that can easily be linked to your own company website. If integrating the ORC Resource Hub on your company’s website aligns with your audience needs, you can request access by clicking the "Get Started" button in the widget section here.

By working together—sharing strategies, knowledge, and resources—we can develop a robust defense against ORC. Success will require the commitment and action of policymakers, retailers, the criminal justice community, and the public.

ORCResourceHub.org

Courtesy of FastCompany.com

• 'Work is not the place to be your best self': TikTok reacts to survey on why Gen Zers are getting fired
• How to structure your day for brain efficiency, according to a neuroscientist
• 5 red flags that show you don't understand your Gen Z employees
• Why small businesses and retailers are bracing for a frosty 2024 holiday sales season

Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

• Many brands risk being left behind by overlooking these critical advertising steps
• Beyond the paycheck - how to build a workplace culture centered on love, abundance and purpose

Nonprofit News & Resources

Getting Donor Feedback Right

to Raise More Funds

Published on NonProfitPRO.com, October 7, 2024

Photo: Getty Images by NoSystem images

The strength of donor relationships directly impacts the amount of fundraising dollars. Relational fundraising is an absolute for nonprofit success. However, with many organizations, there is a big miss in the equation, which is asking donors for feedback and advice. The best fundraising organizations are always about deepening donor engagement involving donor feedback. Asking questions — and not just for money — resonates with donors.

Read more here

NAWA: Finance Unlocked for Nonprofits

Thursday, October 17, 2024, 12:00 pm

Approaching nonprofit finance in a welcoming way, the Finance Unlocked for Nonprofits virtual workshop aims to help unlock your financial literacy. From key words and forms to understanding how everything fits together, you will increase your basic nonprofit finance knowledge.

This online course is free, thanks to support from the Washington Office of the Secretary of State.

Greater Kitsap News

OWDC, WorkSource Clallam & WorkSource Kitsap Announce Grant Recipients

Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties – the OWDC, WorkSource Clallam and WorkSource Kitsap are excited to announce the selection of five outstanding small business grant applicants, each awarded up to $10,000 through the Washington State Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Fund. These awardees were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants based on their innovation, impact, and commitment to enhancing our local economic empowerment and sustainability. We celebrate their entrepreneurial enthusiasm and look forward to the ongoing positive contributions they will make to our communities.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANT AWARDEES

• Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance – Sequim
• Uptown Barbershop – Bremerton
• West Sound Dance Academy – Silverdale
• Campana’s Pizzeria – Bremerton
• Raices Midwifery and Community Care, LLC - Port Townsend

Bat Found in NK Tests Positive for Rabies

A bat found in North Kitsap last week has tested positive for rabies.

A person picked the bat up outdoors and took it to a local wildlife shelter, which contacted Kitsap Public Health. Testing by a state public health laboratory this week confirmed the animal had rabies. 

The positive rabies test is a reminder to avoid touching bats and to call a healthcare provider if you do have contact with a bat. 

"If you or someone in your household touches a bat, take the situation seriously and act quickly," Kitsap Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Gib Morrow said. "Contact a health professional and catch the animal for testing if you can. It could save your life." 

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus. The virus is carried in the saliva of infected animals and spread by bites and scratches. Bats are the only animals in Washington known to carry rabies. 

Rabies in people is very rare and preventable. If you have contact with an animal that could have rabies, call a healthcare provider. People who do not get preventative treatment and get sick from rabies almost always die. There is no cure for rabies after the illness starts. 

Only a small percentage of bats carry rabies, but rabid bats are reported in Washington every year. Seven bats from Kitsap have been tested for rabies in 2024, with one positive result.

The Fairgrounds Road Sidewalk Improvement project is nearing completion. Paving work on Fairgrounds Road NW, between Woodridge Lane and Nels Nelson Road, is set for October 7 to October 18. This work will cause moderate traffic delays during weekdays from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Skookum Presents: Travis Mills

A Morning of Empowerment

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Bremerton GreenDrinks

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 5:00 pm

Employability Career Fair

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Volunteers Needed for Old Town Work Party

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Masks Still Available

Free at the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center

The Greater Kitsap Chamber still has some supplies available if your local business is in need of KN95 masks. Pick up your supply at both GKC locations today. Available while supplies last.

Poulsbo Film Festival

October 11 - 13, 2024

BCT Presents: Caught in the Net

Now thru Oct. 20, 2024

Fast forward and the plot thickens, or rather, tangles up like a pair of earphones in your pocket. In this sequel, the web of lies gets even stickier when John Smith's teenage kids from each family meet online and hit it off. Little do they know they share more than just common interests—they share a dad! John, with his trusty but dim-witted sidekick Stanley, dives headfirst into a sea of fibs and fabrications to keep his kids from discovering they're half-siblings. It's a comedic catastrophe of epic proportions that proves the internet really does bring people closer—maybe a bit too close for comfort.

Content Advisory: Adult situations, some humor based on outdated standards and mores. Features humorous and sometimes suggestive dialogue, but no strong or offensive language; deals with themes of bigamy, deception, and mistaken identity, all presented in a comedic and farcical manner; primarily situational and physical humor, with elements of slapstick and farce; mature themes related to bigamy and infidelity, handled with a light-hearted and comedic touch; comedic accidents and physical humor; some suggestive situations and innuendos—nothing explicit.

Port Gamble Theater: Harvey

October 11 - 27, 2024

Everyone is worried about Elwood P. Dowd’s relationship with his six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch friend. Why you say…well he happens to be an invisible rabbit.

CK Performing Arts Center & West Sound Chorus Presents:

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! "Hallelujah"

An Epic Anthems Sing-Along

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 6:00 pm

Since 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir! directors Daveed Goldman + Nobu Adilman have blurred the lines between performer and audience, traveling the world to create harmony with strangers and friends alike. They’ve collaborated with renowned artists like Patti Smith, David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Rick Astley, Rufus Wainwright, and even Kermit The Frog at New York’s Lincoln Center, creating memorable videos that have garnered views in the millions!

Admiral Theatre: Homecoming 80s New Wave Dance Party w/Prom Date Mixtape

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 8:00 pm

Prom Date Mixtape is the Ultimate Live 80s New Wave Experience and the Best 80s Tribute Band in the Pacific NW! And Bremerton's Admiral Theatre is the ONLY venue in Kitsap where you can see them.

***PLEASE READ*** This is a HOMECOMING themed 80s tribute concert with dancing, a balloon drop, confetti cannons, black light, a costume contest (football players, cheerleaders, homecoming dance gowns, tuxedo t-shirts), drink specials, and free party favors at the door. There will be two sets between 8 - 11 p.m., with a 20-minute break for the band.

IYKYK this is Kitsap's biggest party! PDM has an action-packed night of TOTALLY RAD 80s HITS by Duran Duran, Billy Idol, INXS, Pat Benatar, Tears For Fears, The Go-Gos, A Flock Of Seagulls, The Fixx, Simple Minds, Eurythmics, Depeche Mode & MUCH MORE!

Named “The Greatest 80s Tribute Band in the Pacific Northwest” by KOMO TV 4’s Seattle Refined, Prom Date Mixtape delivers the most authentic and energetic renditions of your favorite decade-defining new wave, pop, and rock tunes that you will ever hear.

Tiffany Diamond

Events Coordinator

tiffany@greaterkitsapchamber.com