The Marion Chamber of Commerce hosted their 97th Annual Awards Banquet & Auction Friday, January 19, 2018.
The event began at 5:30 p.m. with a Social Hour, sponsored by Northbridge Professional Technologies. The Social Hour featured beer, wine, hors d'oeuvres (sponsored by First Southern Bank) and the two Signature Drinks - Whiskey Sour (sponsored by Black Diamond Harley Davidson) and Moscow Mule (sponsored by Joyner Therapy Services).
The event also included a Wine & Spirit Pull, sponsored by Mayer Networks. The Wine & Spirit Pull sold out and raised $835 for the Chamber.
A Silent Auction (sponsored by Heartland Regional Medical Center) was also held during the Social Hour. The Silent Auction raised more than $3,500 for the Marion Chamber Foundation.
Also during the Social Hour, a Diamond Drop, sponsored by Diamond Designs, was held. The event sold out and raised $1,500 for the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children. The mission of the Poshard Foundation is to help abused, neglected, and abandoned children in Southern Illinois. A check presentation for the money raised during the Diamond Drop will be held during the February Monthly Membership Luncheon on February 13. Please register to attend the luncheon by clicking here.
Ike Family Dealerships sponsored a Photo Booth where all participants were welcome to get their photo taken by a professional photographer. The Photo Booth Photos are available here.
Entertainment (sponsored by Clearwave Communications) included performances by Brock Bertling - a local pianist, and Artstarts.
Dinner began around 6:30 p.m. The dinner included romaine and baby greens salad with feta cheese, pine nuts, craisins and raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing, roast beef, garlic rub chicken breasts, twice baked potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls, and desserts, including cheesecakes and gourmet dessert bars (sponsored by South Porte Bank) and tea, water and coffee (sponsored by Krispy Kreme).
The Award Presentations began after dinner service. The following awards were presented:
The Award Presentations was videotaped and is available online now here.
The Annual Dinner Committee honored those we have lost in the past year who have contributed to the Marion Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Marion area. The tribute can be viewed here.
A professional photographer took photos throughout the event. The photography is sponsored by Golden Eagle Distributing. Photos of the event are posted here.
The program included a video message from Governor Bruce Rauner who could not attend the event. View the video message here.
A program for the event was given to each guest and contained points of history for the Marion Chamber as well as past winners of the awards. The program is sponsored by Commercial Janitorial Services. Click here for the program.
Registration was sponsored by Futiva Hosted Communications.
The venue was sponsored by The Pavilion.
The Hospitality sponsor was VisitSI.
Marion High School FBLA volunteers (sponsored by Clearwave Communications) were on hand to escort guests to their seats. Volunteers from Artstarts were on hand to help with the Coat Check, sponsored by Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois.
Thank you to the following:
Artstarts for entertainment and volunteering
Brock Bertling for entertainment
Deanna Hudgens for coordinating the FBLA volunteers
Diamond Designs for the Diamond Drop
Dreams Do Come True for décor
Etcetera for the Chair’s spouse gift
Great Boars of Fire for catering
Graphics Galore for awards and plaques
Hill Printing for invitations and Save-the-Date postcards
Jared Garrison and staff with The Pavilion
Jon Wofford for Emceeing
Marion High School FBLA vols:
Noah Cash
Hezekiah Goodman
Bradley Marks
Abby Mausey
Natalie Mausey
Victoria Shore
Abbelyn Thompson
Marquez Lilly
Bea Mwansa
Zoe Boatright
Faith Enrietto
Jacob Janz
Jacob Rice
Martini Joe’s for Social Hour service
Melise’s Boutique for tuxedos
My Michelle’s Photography for Event Photography and Photo Stage Photography
Silent Auction donors
AES Solar
AMC
ArtStarts
Banterra Bank
Barcom Security
Black Diamond Harley Davidson
Blue Sky Vineyard
Bronze Bodz
Buffalo Wild Wings
Cameron’s Auto Detailing
Cape Air
Casey’s
Changing Seasons
Clearwave
Crab Orchard Golf Club
Curves
CUSD #2
DelouFleur Decor and Designs
Doggie Stylez
Egyptian Board of Realtors
Extreme Kids
Farmers State Bank
Fazoli’s
Fusion Boot Camp
Genesis Salon
Golden Eagle Distributing
Great Boars of Fire
H&R Block
Holiday Inn Express and Suite
Home Depot
Hospice
House 2 Home - Monica McGinley
Ike Family Dealerships
JALC
K&K Storage Barns LLC
Kokopelli Golf Club
Krispy Kreme
Legence Bank
Little Egypt Veterinary Clinic
Magpie Market House
Majestic Enterprize Inc.
Marion Chamber Foundation
Marion Park District
Marion Republican
Marion Star
Marion Title Professionals
McDonalds
McKendree
Pepsi MidAmerica
Photography by Lori
Rural King
Servpro
SI Bowl
Silkworm
Silver Collections
Small’s
Smoothie King
Southern Illinois Mercantile
Southern Illinois Miners
Specialized Equine Services
Susan Willis Photography
Taco Johns
The HUB
The Southern Illinoisan
VisitSI
Walmart
Walt’s Pizza
Watermark Auto Group
Whimsy
WSIU
Shawnee Services for sound, lights & videography
Wine Pull donors
AES Solar
Amber Ciochetto
Ashlee Church
Ashley Gott
Bill Nielsen
Black Diamond Harley Davidson
Brian Ziegler
Dalus Ben Avi
Dr. Keith Oates
Feather Hills
First Southern Bank
Hospice of Southern Illinois
Janet Jensen
Jerry M. Barrass Construction
Jessica Force
Jim Parker
John Brown’s on the Square
Kenya Garner
Marion Chamber of Commerce
Martini Joe’s
Matt Lee
Michelle Hamilton
Mindy Reid
Monica McGinley
Priority Staffing Group
Ray Altmix
Rick Richert
Russell Williams
Ted Gutierrez
visitSI
Westmore Liquor Mart
and to the Awards Committee:
Janet Jensen with Auto Credit of Southern Illinois
Ashley Gott with Bank of Herrin
Misty Cobb (Chair) with Banterra Bank
Mindy Reid (Chair) with Banterra Bank
Brian McHugh with BNI Mid America
Beth Mohlenbrock with Changing Seasons Landscape Center Co
Amber Ciochetto with Crisp Container Co.
Linda Byassee with Dreams Do Come True
Mary Jo McCurdy with First Southern Bank
Bill Nielsen with Flanders Electric
Rick Richert with Flanders Electric
Dalus Ben Avi with Marion Chamber of Commerce
Kristin Beutel with Marion Chamber of Commerce
Deborah Hogg with Hospice of Southern Illinois, Inc.
Jason Powell with Legence Bank
Jon Wofford with Marion Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Jared Garrison with The Pavilion - City of Marion
Kenya Garner with State Farm Insurance
Cindy Gibbons with U.S. Bank
Shannon Johnson with VisitSI
Jessica Force (Vice Chair) with Williamson County Government