Annual Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner

Annual Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner
Release Date: Tuesday, November 6th 2007
COLE, RAO AND BEARS IN THE VALLEY COMMITTEE HONORED AT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL DINNER

November 1, 2007, Wilmington - Annual service awards and the highly successful “Bears in the Valley” campaign were the talk of the evening at the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce Annual awards dinner held at the Old Red Mill restaurant in Wilmington.

The mood was celebratory and optimistic at Thursday’s annual dinner when proceeds from the project were happily presented by members of the BITV committee to local charities. The Make a Wish Foundation of Vermont, Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, Deerfield Valley Community Cares and Deerfield Valley Health Care Volunteers each received a checks The Deerfield Valley Schools Arts Program received a check for their programs.

The 2007 service award honorees were Matthew Cole of Wilmington– recipient of the Ralph and Verne Howe Community Service Award; Bears in the Valley committee members Ken Spicer, Sarah Shippee, Christine Fayette, Kristen Wallace, Cheryl Rothman, Therese Lounsbury, Shelley Park, Carolyn Lucas, Betsey Reagan and Lisa Sullivan were recipients of the “Chamber Members of the Year Award and Inge “Chickie” Rao received a Lifetime Achievement Award for over 20 years of outstanding service to the Chamber of Commerce board, staff, members and visitors. Spicer, an outgoing MSVCOC board member was also honored for his many years of service.

Shippee, of Scott’s Clean Sweep was introduced and installed on the MSVCOC board, along with recently reelected board members Joe Kruzewski of the Matterhorn Inn and Randy Capitani of the Deerfield Valley News.

The bears campaign was the most lucrative event in this small but growing Chamber of Commerce’s history, raising money for local charitable organizations. “Bears in the Valley” featured 39 life-sized bear figurines, painted by local artists and displayed by local merchants and organizations through the summer and fall tourist season.

MSVCOC Executive Director Laura Sibilia said “It was fantastic to present our area charities with the fruits of our year long bears endeavor. These charities support the Deerfield Valley, so we’re truly pleased to support them.”
Information about the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and area events is available by telephone at 802-464-8092 or on the web at http://www.visitvermont.com/.