Quarterly Chamber & Visitors Bureau News iChampaign County, Ohio SFall/Winter 2019

Celebrating 100 Years! The Chamber celebrated its 100th anniversary in a big way with the help of about 240 guests at the annual dinner and expo September 19 at the Champaign Aviation Museum.

Sixteen Chamber member businesses that have been in operation for at least 100 years (listed on Page 4) shared in the festivities.

Other highlights of the evening included:

Simon Kenton Volunteer of the Year Award, presented to Mary Tron, who has been a driving force in serving Champaign County seniors for years. She volunteers for LifeCare Alliance (Meals on Wheels), as well as several programs that benefit families and children.

“We had many deserving nominations this year, so the board had a difficult decision,” says Chamber Executive Director Sara Neer. “We are blessed to have Mary in our community.”

Chamber Board recognition, including new members, Tonya West of Mercy McAuley Center and Shana Loveless of Urbana University; outgoing member Scott Delong of CRSI; Outgoing President Justin Evans of Tri-County Insurance; and new Board President Tom Coles of Bundy Baking Solutions. Many thanks to annual meeting sponsors Bundy Baking Solutions, CRSI, Memorial Health, Mercy Health-Urbana Hospital, Urbana University, Business Equipment Company and Urbana and Darby Dental Smiles.

More annual meeting photos, Page 4

Sara and Rachel Here to Serve You Chamber Executive Director Sara Neer and Chamber Coordinator Rachel Casey team up to promote and serve local businesses, to help make Champaign County a better place to live, work and play.

Earlier this year, Sara was named Chamber Coordinator, and in June was selected from a pool of well qualified candidates as the Cham-ber’s new director. Soon after, Rachel was hired as coordinator.

Sara grew up in Urbana, is a graduate of Urbana High School and Bowling Green State University, and has eight years’ experience in banking. She and her husband, Derek Jones, have three children, son Julien, and twin daughters, Esme and Mira.

Rachel is a native of Champaign County, a graduate of Triad High School, and is certified in administrative assisting. She and her husband, Joe, have two daughters, Brianna and Raylen.

“We’re dedicated to strengthening connections between businesses and the community to make this an even better place to live, as well as serving members and welcoming new members,” says Sara.

Welcome, New Chamber Members…

1868 Italianate Casa Airbnb

Advanced Technology

Products, Inc.

Atkins & Waldren, DDS

Beacon Professional

Services, LLC

CG Burg Enterprises, LLC,

DBA Fitness Machine

Technicians

Philip M. Edwards

FocalPoint Business

Coaching

Junior Achievement of Mad

River Division

Kaizen Cyber Solutions

Koenig Equipment Inc.

Sycamore House Pregnancy

and Family Life Center

Your Hometown Techs

Mary Tron accepts the Simon Kenton Volunteer of the Year Award from Cham-

ber Executive Director Sara Neer and Tom Coles, incoming Chamber Board

President.

Rachel Casey and Sara Neer

Chamber member businesses can receive free Working Minds sui-cide prevention training for em-ployees, provided by Stacey Log-wood, a Chamber Board of Direc-tors member and Director of Community and School-based Prevention of Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Services Board of Logan & Champaign Counties. The training covers the impact of mental health challenges on the workplace and helps equip employees to intervene for a co-worker in crisis and in need of mental health care — to reduce the risk of suicide. For more information, contact the Chamber at 937-653-5764.

Suicide Prevention Training

Chamber Member

Benefit Spotlight

Seventeen teams competed in the Chamber’s annual golf outing June 26 at the Urbana Country Club. The top team, sponsored by Bundy Baking Solutions, pictured from left with Chamber Executive Director Sara Neer, are Jeremiah Stocksdale of The Hall Company, Brett Spriggs of Bundy Baking Solutions, Greg Hower of the Champaign Family YMCA and Brad Millice of Perpetual Federal Savings Bank. The Ohio Caverns team finished second. Sponsors includ-ed: Gold, CRSI; Silver, Mercy Health and Memorial Health; and Bronze, Bundy Baking Solutions, Vancrest of Urbana and Mary Rutan Hospital.

Brad Hurtig has shared his inspiring mes-sage about workplace safety – and how he’s overcome a tragic workplace accident – on CBS, in the New York Times and other na-tional media. Now you can hear his story in person at the next Champaign County Safe-ty Council meeting, which will be open to the public in the Urbana High School Audi-torium, 7:30 a.m. Nov. 20.

Register now for the free presentation ($10 for breakfast) by calling or emailing the Chamber, 937-653-5746 or info@champaignohio.com.

Only days after finishing his sophomore year of high school, Hurtig lost both of his hands in a devastating accident. Through

Nov. 20 Safety Council Guest to Deliver

Inspiring Story of Workplace Safety

Stacey Logwood

Open to Public. Register Now!

Brad Hurtig

hard work and determination, he rejoined his high school football team. His senior year, he led the team with 111 tackles and earned all-state honors.

New Visitors Bureau Logo: ‘Best Day Trip in Ohio’

The Champaign County Visitors Bureau has a new logo to help spread the word that Cham-paign County is the “Best Day Trip in Ohio.”

You’ll see the new logo on the Visitors Bureau’s new visitors guide (out at the start of 2020) and other promotions of our area’s historical, cultural and recreational attractions.

The Visitors Bureau provides promotional materials to 45 other Ohio visitors bureaus, more than 18 travel shows around the country, and reach-es nearly 12,000 people at the AAA travel show in Columbus, and many more via the web and social media and special events.

Many Tee Up to Support Chamber

Chamber Ribbon Cuttings

The Chamber has recently held ribbon cuttings for the following businesses. For future ceremonies, check the Chamber Facebook page or event calendar on the Chamber website, ChampaignOhio.com

●NaCl Salt Spa

● Serina Ann Photography

● Dragonfly Vineyard &

Wine Cellar

● Memorial Health 3D

Mammography Service

●Lulu's Lullaby Childcare

Center

●YMCA Little Library

●Folck Winery

●Universal Home Health &

Hospice

●Wallace & Turner, Inc.

●Mercy Health-Urbana

Hospital 3D Mammography

Unit

●Taco Bell

Congratulate these Chamber member businesses for

reaching new milestones of service:

Champaign Family YMCA – 20 years

Tech II – 50 years

Mary Rutan Hospital – 100 years

Milestone Business Anniversaries

A Blue Ribbon Time at the Fair

The Champaign County Fair is one of our favorite times of year. And all the better with the support of many volunteers and businesses.

Special thanks to our fair booth volunteers who helped promote Visitors Bureau information and events.

And we had a blast at Cham-ber Night at the Races. Urbana University cheer-leaders threw out to the crowd 236 t-shirts donated by businesses. Thanks to our emcee, Richard Ebert. And to those who donat-ed 17 TVs that were raffled off: CRSI, Champaign Memorial Foundation, Houser & Brinnon/Nancy Anderson, East Lawn & Garden, CT Comm/Chamber, KTH, The Peoples Savings Bank, Urbana University/Bob and Sherrill Corbett, Parker Trutec, Security National Bank, Community Health and Wellness Partners, Urbana Self Storage, H & R Block, Urbana and Darby Dental Smiles, the Champaign Foundation, Vancrest of Urbana and Alexander & Associates.

Thanks also to horse blanket sponsors: Bundy Baking Solutions, CRSI, CT Comm, The Peoples Savings Bank, Security National Bank, Civista Bank, Urbana University, Family Dentistry of Urbana, IH Credit Union, NaCI Salt Spa, Urbana Place and Steve Mabry of Link-Helmuth Realty.

Get Ready for Holiday Fun

Here’s a sampling of not-to-miss events coming up in Champaign County:

The Holiday Horse Parade & Santa's Homecoming, Friday, November 29: Urbana’s historic downtown Monument Square District will be the center of holiday fun for the whole family, capped off by the annual Holiday Lighted Horse Parade and Santa’s arrival.

Here's the schedule:

10 a.m. – downtown businesses open for holiday shopping 3 p.m. – street vendors and children's activities begin 5 p.m. – street carolers and carriage rides begin 5:30 p.m. – tree lighting ceremony at Legacy Park 6:30 p.m. – Lighted Horse Parade begins 7:30 p.m. – Santa Land at Oxner's General Store opens

Christmas in the Village, St. Paris, Dec. 7: Host-ed by Our Town St. Paris, noon to 6:30 p.m., featur-ing craft show, pictures with Santa, live nativity, tree lighting, ornament making at the St. Paris Library and lighted parade.

Our Towne Mechanicsburg’s Christmas in the Village, Dec. 14: Holiday fun in downtown Me-chanicsburg, 10-4, including crafters at the firehouse, Masonic Temple and school, Santa parade, specials at local businesses, horse drawn wagon rides and music at Second Baptist Church.

Christmas at the Gloria Theatre

“Songs of the Season” Youth Choir Concerts, Dec. 12 and 13: 7 p.m. both days, featuring Cham-paign County youth choirs singing favorite carols.

Phil Dirt & the Dozers Christmas Spectacular, Dec. 14: 7:30 p.m., ad-vance discounted tickets available at GloriaTheatre.org.

Santa Parade in Mechanicsburg

Seventeen lucky people left Chamber Night at the Races with TVs

donated by local businesses, like this one donated by Security

National Bank (SNB). With the winner (at center) are from left

Chamber Board President Justin Evans, Jeff Williams of SNB,

Chamber Coordinator Rachel Casey and Chamber Executive

Director Sara Neer.

Let the Chamber Wrap It Up When You Buy Local

Buy your Christmas presents at small Champaign County businesses, and have them wrapped for free at the Chamber, 127 W. Court St., Urbana, noon to 6 p.m. on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30 – and Mondays through Fridays, 9 to 4, now through Dec. 23. Show your receipts for proof of purchase.

Satisfy your appetite for delicious food and knowledge at these upcoming Chamber Lunch & Learn programs – held the third Tuesday of each month, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Champaign County Library, 1060 Scioto St., Urbana:

Nov. 19 – Susan Berger, Certified Nurse Practitioner at Mercy Health, "Stress Management"

Dec. 17 – Scott Brown, Certified Business Coach with FocalPoint Business Coaching, "Business Continuity Planning: Focusing on Building a Business That Can Withstand the Storms”

Jan. 21 – Randall Comer, Attorney at Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper PLL, "Medical Marijuana in the Workplace"

Lunch by Paul’s Catering. Cost $10. For information and to make reserva-tions, call the Chamber, (937) 653-5764.

Mark Your Calendar for Lunch & Learns

Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors

Tom Coles, President Bundy Baking Solutions

Don Burley, President-Elect Graham Local Schools

Justin Evans

Tri-County Insurance Services

Ty Henderson

Champaign County Library

Stacey Logwood

MHDAS Board of Logan and

Champaign Counties

Shana Loveless

Urbana University

Lyndsey Murphy

The Hive

Nicole Rush

St. Paris Public Library

Brett Spriggs

Bundy Baking Solutions

Eric Warrick

Perpetual Federal Savings Bank

Tonya West

Mercy Health McAuley Center

127 W. Court St.

Urbana, OH 43078

Office Hours: M-F, 9-4

(937) 653-5764

info@champaignohio.com

ChampaignOhio.com

Please Take Advantage of These Resources...

□ The Champaign County Visitors Bureau is active on social media. Follow us on

Facebook by liking our Visitors Bureau Champaign County, Ohio page and Instagram, @visitchampaignohio.

□ Pick up the new Champaign County Community and Membership Guide at the

Chamber.

□ Send us your event dates to be included in the 2020 Champaign County Calendar.

Calendar sales support the Visitors Bureau, helping us promote Champaign County tourism.

100-Year Businesses Honored

Carmazzi's

Champaign County Fair

Champaign County

Library

Civista Bank

CT Comm

Desmond-Stephan Mfg.

Dye & Doss Insurance

Martin, Browne, Hull &

Harper, PLL

Mary Rutan Hospital

Ohio Caverns

Orbis

The Peoples Savings

Bank

Perpetual Federal

Savings Bank

Security National Bank

Urbana Daily Citizen

Urbana University

Annual Meeting Takes Wing at Champaign Aviation Museum

(Above) The special entertainment for the annual meeting, the Dueling Pianos, got guests out of their chairs and into the act.

(At right) Outgoing

President Justin

Evans, Chamber

Director Sara Neer

and outgoing Board

member Scott

DeLong.

How sweet it is … cake baked by Tina

Knotts of Let’s Eat Cake to help celebrate

the Chamber’s 100th.