Business News

United We Thrive!

Minding our own business

America's 250th anniversary has given us plenty of opportunities this year to celebrate our nation's history, but it has also given us an opportunity to think about what has always made communities like ours strong.

And, quite simply, it's each other.

That seems like the perfect sentiment as we begin making plans for the Delta County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, presented by OSF HealthCare ~ St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group, scheduled for Thursday, October 8, at the Island Resort & Casino.

We carried the America 250 celebration into this year's U.P. State Fair with the theme "United in Fun." For the Annual Dinner, we're carrying that spirit forward with a slightly different message, United We Thrive!

Because that really is our story.

Our waterfront community has never been a place where any one organization, business or individual accomplishes everything alone. We rely on one another. Businesses support community events. Volunteers step forward when there is work to be done. Organizations collaborate instead of compete. Employers invest in their employees and their community. And when challenges arise, people have a remarkable way of rolling up their sleeves and figuring out how to get through them together.

That spirit of community is something worth celebrating.

The Annual Dinner gives us the opportunity to do exactly that. Yes, it is a chance to look back at another busy year for the Chamber and celebrate our accomplishments, but some of the most important moments of the evening are when we turn the spotlight away from ourselves and recognize the businesses and individuals who make a difference throughout Delta County.

This year, we'd like the community to help us identify them.

We are inviting nominations for our Annual Dinner awards and asking you to tell us about the businesses, organizations and individuals you believe deserve to be recognized.

Maybe it's a business that continues to invest, grow and create opportunities. Perhaps it's an organization quietly doing great things behind the scenes. It could be an educator making a lasting difference, a community ambassador who never misses an opportunity to promote our area, or simply someone whose commitment and contributions make our waterfront community a better place to live, work and visit. We know those stories are out there, please send them to us at info@deltami.org ~ we want to hear them.

Over the next several weeks, we'll be sharing more information about the Annual Dinner. Then, on October 8, we'll gather at the Island Resort & Casino to celebrate the people, businesses and partnerships that demonstrate exactly what United We Thrive means.

After all, America's 250th anniversary is a celebration of where we've been and where we're going.

Here at home, it's also a pretty good reminder that whatever comes next, we're stronger when we face it together.