BonnerSprings.com

The turnout wasn’t quite as big as last year, but Saturday night’s 2010 Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet was still a rousing success with dinner, prizes, an abundance of member recognition and entertainment provided by Kansas City, Mo., band G-4ORCE.

“The (Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Area) Chamber of Commerce strives to be a valued organization that is not only your best business advocate, but an organization that works to enhance the future of Edwardsville and Bonner Springs,” said chamber president Marcia Ashford during the awards ceremony portion of the evening. “I encourage all of you to support chamber businesses and buy local in both our communities.”

This year, instead of handing out citizen awards as in previous years, the chamber recognized a chamber business and a chamber member of 2009 — Holliday Sand and Gravel and Mike Clouse, a supervisor with Holliday Sand and Gravel, respectively.

Ashford said Holliday Sand and Gravel had been chosen because of the company’s long-standing support of the chamber and also community events like Tiblow Days and AutumnFest.

“Holliday Sand and Gravel is a great corporate citizen because not only do they donate money for various causes, they encourage their employees to be involved in community activities as well,” said Ashford.

Clouse was recognized for his involvement with the chamber — he is a past president and officer, serving on the chamber a total of eight years — and his support of such organizations as the Booster Club and Vaughn-Trent Community Services.

“It’s very easy to do these things when you love this stuff,” said Clouse upon receiving his award. “So hopefully unless you guys run me off, I’m not going nowhere.”

Another major change to this year’s banquet was the theme of the event — a Valentine’s Day gala that included dancing and live entertainment.

A dinner of prime rib and grilled chicken, was plated and served to the guests, a departure from the past when dinner was served buffet-style dinner. Afterwards, the short awards ceremony took place, then attendees took to the dance floor to the tunes of the four-piece R&B/funk band G-4ORCE.

“The (chamber) board of directors wanted to try something new and different this year for the banquet and their goal was to have a time for networking, which was the social time, a nice sit-down dinner rather than buffet style, a short program thanking chamber members for their involvement and support, recognizing a chamber business and chamber person of the year and to have a fun atmosphere with the music and dancing,” said Ashford following the banquet. “I believe we achieved that goal from the feedback I and others have received.”

Despite the lowered attendance, which Ashford attributed to the Kansas University men’s basketball game going on at the same time as the banquet and no citizen of the year award being given out, she said sponsorships of the event were higher than last year. This allowed for the chamber to hand out several prizes, with recipients chosen at random several times during the night from a name drawing, including $50 gift cards to the Legends at Village West and a $100 gift card to Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Ashford said she expected to see even more evolvement of the annual banquet in the future.

“The board will conduct an after action review to discuss the outcome and changes we might make next year,” she said.

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