Cheers to 80 Years!
BY: RACHEL WUMKES
The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is beyond excited to host the 80th Annual Meeting on Friday, January 27th at the Surf Ballroom & Museum. It’s hard to believe eight decades have come and gone with our organization leading the charge for prosperity and economic success in Clear Lake.
When the Chamber set out on this journey in 1943, there were only ten members. Thankfully, these founding supporters are still with us today, championing for the community and leading us into the upcoming year. When we celebrated our 75th anniversary, I wrote this piece, highlighting these pioneers of the Chamber of Commerce.
Again, we thank them for sticking with us throughout the years.
Our team worked hard in 2022, hosting countless networking and community events. We revamped our strategic plan, looking toward the future and building on the tremendous growth in our community. It has served as a guideline to ensure our organization isn’t just around – but thriving – for the next 80 years.
And so, it’s time to celebrate at the Annual Meeting!
We hope you’ll make plans to join us for a special evening celebration with happy hour and heavy hors d’oeuvres beginning at 4:30PM. The program will highlight the various successes of our organization, acknowledge incoming and outgoing Board members, and announce our annual award winners.
Here are the categories for awards:
Education Partner of the Year
Larry Luker Volunteer of the Year
North Iowa Service Award
Business of the Year
Chamber Members submitted nominations before the end of the year, and we are super excited to announce the winners. These incredible individuals and businesses work tirelessly for our organization and community. Their dedication and leadership are what make Clear Lake such a special place to live, work and play!
But that’s not all we have up our sleeve for the evening. Stick around after the Annual Meeting for some Dueling Guitar fun!
Upon the completion of the Annual Awards Program, you’ll definitely want to stick around for the riveting performance of Dueling Guitars from 7-10PM.
This fun, interactive show is the perfect way to round out an incredible evening. Bring your song requests and make sure your dancin’ shoes are shined and ready to go!
Chamber Members can still purchase tickets to the Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation by calling Ashley at the Chamber office (641-357-2159) or emailing ashley@clearlakeiowa.com. Individual tickets are $50 or you can purchase a table of 8 for $350. This includes your admission for the Dueling Guitars show. Registration can also be done online with just a few clicks of a button!
Community Members are invited (and encouraged) to attend the Dueling Guitar concert from 7-10PM. Tickets for the live show are $15 in advance – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dueling-guitars-community-concert-tickets-511934197967 – or $20 at the door.
I’m a big believer in celebrating the victories in life, and 2022 is definitely worth celebrating. We had a banner year at the Chamber of Commerce with a lot of growth in our organization. Help us celebrate not only last year, but the past 80 years as we continue to be champions for business in Clear Lake.