ESCANABA — It’s that time of year again. Time when you hear the Chamber of Commerce talk about their Midwinter Gala. For years the event was referred to as Love Affair and fondly described as the “adult prom.” After a brief hiatus when it was determined the community missed this winter night out; it was rebranded as Fire and Ice with the goal to bring back a favorite event for our community couples while also welcoming any groups of business people to come and get dressed up and enjoy a great evening in our waterfront community.

As with most Chamber events, Fire and Ice is a great opportunity for businesses to market their products and services and network with other business people and community leaders. For those who have not attended Fire and Ice, let me paint you a picture of what you can expect if you choose to attend this enjoyable community event.

The doors to Fire and Ice, presented by OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital, will open at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Terrace Bay Hotel Ballroom. Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed, and their coats will be checked by cheerful volunteers. Through advance registration a guest list is created so a ticket is not needed at the door.

Our event greeters, the Ambassadors of Delta County, will escort you to your table and present you with your door prize ticket. Be sure to hold on to the ticket, it is what gives you a chance to win magnificent door prizes, including the grand door prize — where one lucky attendee will get the chance to walk away with up to $30,000.

Once in the ballroom, you will experience the Fire and Ice transformation of the Terrace Bay Hotel, with table décor graciously sponsored by Dobber’s Pasties. Make sure to stop for a fun photo with your friends at the photo booth sponsored by Taylor, Lord and Hughes Insurance.

As you stroll around the Terrace Bay Hotel Ballroom, you will see the many opportunities to win fabulous prizes donated by our incredibly generous Chamber members. These opportunities, sold by volunteers from Peninsula Federal Credit Union, include instant raffles, where everyone is a winner; along with 50/50 drawings, bucket raffles and other specialty raffles. This is a great way for businesses to get their product or service in front of an eager audience.

Each table will feature complimentary wine, hand selected by the experts at Bink’s Wine and Beverages and sponsored by Anderson, Tackman & Co. & Solutions Telecommunications. The wine will pair perfectly with the delicious dinner served by the wait staff of the Freshwater Tavern. Menu options include roasted salmon parmesan, tavern top sirloin gorgonzola and classic chicken marsala

After dinner and a delicious dessert sponsored by Water’s Edge Chiropractic, the Live Auction gets underway with our award-winning auctioneer, Colonel Dan Samson. Thanks to our auction sponsors already on board, Stewart Manufacturing, Community Foundation for Delta County and Delta County EDA, the winning bidders walk away with fantastic prizes at great prices.

The final drawing of the evening is for the Fire and Ice door prizes leading up to the Grand Prize of up to $30,000. All guests will receive a door prize ticket when they arrive. One lucky attendee will be selected to play the grand prize game where they will select sealed money bags until he or she has five of a kind. Five-of-a-kind wins that prize. Prize values are $1,000, $5,000 $10,000 and $30,000.

After all that excitement, the only thing left to do is dance.

I hope this picture paints a vivid picture of just how enjoyable attending Fire and Ice can be. Who knew business networking could be so much fun?

Fire & Ice provides the funding to carry out the community promotion and economic development programs of the Chamber. The “spirit” of our community demands a high level of activity for the coming year, and we need your continued support of our gala event.

We hope to see you there for what is sure to be an evening to remember!! For more information visit deltami.org or call 786-2192.

— — —

Sheila Krueger is associate director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce