On February 6, the Lacey South Sound Chamber pulled out all the stops to recognize some amazing businesses, organizations and individuals in the area. Well-known local radio host, Jerry Farmer, lent his voice as emcee in front of a packed house at the Indian Summer Golf & Country Club. The awards ceremony recognized a number of groups and individuals for their achievements, community contributions, and milestones at the red-carpet event.
Over a period of two months, nominations were received from chamber members for the following awards: Think Chamber First, Workplace Excellence, Community Service, Entrepreneur of the Year, Military Involvement, Non-Profit of the Year, and Business of the Year. Nominations were narrowed down to three per category and interviewed by an independent judging panel composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. After the interviews, the judging panel privately voted which led to the announcement of the award recipients.
Guests at the event were treated to award videos created by Media Market Solutions, which helped show the impact the businesses and organizations have made throughout the area. “Media Marketing Solutions did a great job capturing the essences of those businesses,” says Blaine Land, Executive Director for the Lacey South Sound Chamber.
The Lacey South Sound Chamber was proud to recognize and award several deserving businesses and organizations within Thurston County at this event.
94.5 Roxy Radio, local adult-contemporary radio station, took home the Think Chamber First award. The award was presented to Farmer, co-owner of 94.5 Roxy. “Jerry Farmer, on top of being a great event emcee, is an amazing individual and asset to our community.” says Land.
Recipient for the Military Involvement Award this year was Got Your Six Fishing, a non-profit which helps active duty military and veterans find physical and emotional healing through recreation and provides opportunities for them to share their stories.
Non-Profit of the Year was awarded to Homeless Backpacks, an organization that helps students around Thurston county by providing them with supplemental food to eat after school, on weekends and during school breaks, as well as raise awareness of homelessness of children, families and individuals. Currently, the non-profit serves between 300-400 students every week.
Chicago Title Company took home the award for Workplace Excellence. Located in Lacey, they serve the region as Thurston County’s premier title insurance company and are committed to area real estate brokers.
The Lacey Pocket Gophers Football Club was recognized as the Entrepreneur of the Year. The Pocket Gophers were established in 2017, to bring semi-pro adult men’s soccer and family fun sports entertainment to the area.
MJR Development has developed a number of projects in the region, including retail, residential, industrial, office, and mixed use. You may recognize the development work they have done in the Woodland Square Loop area. The Lacey South Sound Chamber was proud to recognize them as Business of the Year.
Recipient of the Community Service Award this year was Senior Services for South Sound. They have been dedicated to the community for over 40 years. Their mission, simple and important, is to improve the quality of life for people as they age. And Senior Services for South Sound does this by offering a wide range of programs for seniors and their families, as well as addressing the ever-changing demands of the community.
Five awards were also given by the Lacey South Sound Chamber staff in recognition of amazing contributions by a number of individuals within their organization. Those awards were: Volunteer of the Year to Nichole Wachtman, Ambassador of the Year to Michael Jameson, the Stewart Ridgeway Lifetime Achievement Award to Jerry Wilkins, the Arvilla Moore Spirit Award to Madelin White and Anita Yarber and the Angel Award to Kelly Wilson.
Photo credit: Krystal Switzer
“The Lacey South Sound Chamber wants to thank those that participated – attendees of the event, sponsors, or anyone that took the time to nominate a business,” says Land. Land wants everyone to keep the awards in mind for next year as they interact with Lacey South Sound Chamber businesses and organizations.
This event would not have been possible without the support of generous sponsors including platinum sponsors, America’s Credit Union, FASTSIGNS and Columbia Bank. The event was also successful due to the hard work of the event chair, Grace Kendall of FASTSIGNS and Kim Combs, Event Coordinator for the Lacey South Sound Chamber. “Grace and Kim worked hand in hand on the event and their hard work really paid off,” adds Land.
The Lacey South Sound Chamber is made up of over 400 business members, all serving the needs of Lacey and the greater South Sound. The Chamber is a resource for businesses of all sizes and industries to network, connect, grow, and thrive in the South Sound. For more information check out the Lacey South Sound Chamber website.
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