East Jordan Chamber of Commerce holds dinner, meeting and awards
EAST JORDAN — The Valley View Farms was the site of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner, meeting, auction and awards on Saturday, May 21.
Upon their arrival, guests were greeted with the sounds of the Drawbridge Ukulele Band performing a medley of music and the opportunity to support the chamber with a silent auction of many items and services donated by members, according to Mary Faculak, president at the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce.
Over 130 chamber members attended the event that featured an update on the chamber’s programs and activities held over the past year. Outgoing board member John Hunter of East Jordan was recognized for his board services and the current chamber board of directors and staff were introduced.
Following a buffet dinner, a live auction featuring an array of items and services was conducted.
The evening concluded with the presentation of several awards. Faculak served as emcee for the presentations. The following awards were given:
Ambassador of the Year – Presented to Courtney Moeller for her compassion, promotion and implementation of the Sno-Blast Bikini Radar Run the past four years. The event has raised over $30,000 for breast cancer patients in the East Jordan Area.
Spirit Award – The Jordan Art Walk Committee members – Rich Dietrich, John Hunter, Nancy Carey, Babs Young, Jaleesa O’Neal, Tom Cannon and Mary Faculak – received this award for their vision and execution of a cultural and economic community asset. The Jordan Art Walk debuted in 2021 with seven sculptures in Memorial and Sportsman’s parks. In 2022, the Art Walk will be adding seven additional sculptures to the walk.
Community Angel awards – The Charlevoix County Community Foundation was presented one of the two awards. The foundation was recognized for its support and generosity to help benefit the community during extraordinary times.
The Charlevoix County Community Foundation, throughout 2020 and 2021, provided $240,482 in general support fund grants to 45 nonprofit organizations to help them survive the challenging times. In 2021, through regular grant cycles more than $500,000 was awarded to area nonprofits for programs and projects. Total grants awarded in 2021 were $2.5 million.
The foundation has also been involved with urgent needs grants, school nurse programs in area schools, the child care crisis and the housing crisis.
The second Community Angel Award was presented to Good Samaritan Family Services for providing essential services and support to community members during extraordinary times. The board, its 130 volunteers and staff were recognized for their service to over 2,400 people a month at the Good Samaritan. Over 100,000 families have been served since its opening in 1990.
Besides the food pantry, the organization runs two resale shops, assists those in need with help for emergency services, referral services, Sammy’s Shoes, Mom and Tots and His House. Classes are held for budgeting, cooking, etc. During the height of the pandemic, none of their services were discontinued. The organization and staff pivoted and adapted to continue to provide these necessary services.
The Renaissance Award – This award was given to the East Jordan Downtown Development Authority Board for their work on bringing new vitality and connectivity to the Joining Jordan Project in 2021.
The new $2.5 million dollar pedestrian–friendly bridge/walkway provides a safe path for residents and visitors to stroll over the Jordan River and enjoy shopping and dining throughout the year. DDA board members – Tom Teske, Dan Miller, Jennifer Aenis, Dawn LaVanway, Marty Carey, Jason O’Neal, Mike Bennett and Richard Gotts – were recognized.
2022 Citizen of the Year – This award was presented to Danielle Poindexter. Poindexter is a life-long resident of East Jordan and has been involved in a number of community events and activities over the years growing up and also raising her own family. She is a member of the Pastoral Council at St. Joseph Church in East Jordan. She has served on the Challenge Mountain Board of Directors. She enjoys baking and is very dedicated to her family.
It was through her commitment to helping her own children by assisting with child care of her grandchildren that she was made aware of the child care crisis in our area, state and country. Through her vision and implementation, the Training Wheels Childcare Center was formed and opened in April of 2021. What started with a conversation at the dining room table on the crisis and a possible solution that turned into reality, East Jordan families now have a child care center. The center has already expanded since its 2021 opening.
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This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce gives annual awards
