Hendrickson

On Thursday, Oct. 10 the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Gala and Awards Night at the Wawonowin Country Club from 5:30-8 p.m.

It will be an occasion to celebrate with chamber members and public accomplishments of the past year on the West End of Marquette County. Shifting away from a traditional sit-down dinner format, the gala will be more social time oriented with the opportunity to mix and mingle, share stories, eat and drink. The award program will cap off the evening.

To keep the event fun and engaging we’ll be doing a masquerade theme. Suggested attire will be semi-formal, but we encourage guests to dress the masquerade part. GINCC will provide an assortment of complimentary masquerade masks. The event will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, dessert, 50/50 raffle and the chance to win many great prizes.

There will be a door prize opportunity with a community give back. We are asking guests to bring at least one can of non-perishable food, and in return they will receive a ticket to enter the door prize. The collected canned goods will be donated to a local food pantry.

We received a great response for our annual award nominations with several businesses and individuals named for Business of the Year, Organization of the Year, Business Person of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. We are looking forward to sharing with the community those who earned these accolades as part of the program at the event.

A fifth award, selected internally, is given to the Chamber Member of the Year. This award is selected based on the member’s participation and involvement with GINCC events and activities.

It’s been a very busy year on the West End. Join us in celebrating these accomplishments. Along with awards, the event is one of the GINCC major fundraisers. By supporting the GINCC, you are supporting business and communities that make the West End of Marquette County a great place to live.

The event is open to the public. Cost is $45 per person, $75 for couple and $225 for a table of six. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the GINCC at 906-486-1111 or go to the GINCC website www.gincc.org .

Editor’s note: Bob Hendrickson is the executive director of the GINCC. He currently resides in Negaunee with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Sierra. He enjoys mountain biking, skiing, fishing and hunting along with family time.