CHAMBER GALA
The 74 th Annual Chamber Gala Platinum Anniversary Spectacular
By Hayli Zuccola
To keep the 73rd Annual Chamber Gala from being canceled completely , it was initially announced that the event would be held in conjunction with the Business of the Year dinner , but as the date grew closer , the Chamber Board of Directors opted to postpone the festivities until February 2022 .
On February 19 , the celebratory event came to fruition as over 250 guests gathered at the Cerveny Conference Center and Camp Weed ’ s youth pavilion . The venue , which was decorated by Epic Events and Design , left plenty of room for all of the Gala traditions like live entertainment , which was sponsored by Commissioner Len Stapleton and family , and included performances by ’ 80s rock cover band Hair Daze ; an assortment of silent auction items like trip packages provided by AmFund and an array of boozy beverages available at the bar , which was sponsored by Skinner ’ s Paint and Body .
The Gala officially kicked off with a cocktail hour consisting of a large charcuterie display designed by Amazing Graze Gal & Co to help curb any grumbling hunger before the main course of a prime rib dinner was served by Ginger Zipperer catering . In addition to the evening ’ s purpose of recognizing Trailblazer and Citizen of the Year , the Gala also paid tribute to the title sponsor , First Federal Bank , which was celebrating 60 years .
In addition to the incredible food , entertainment and primary business meeting , the night ’ s festivities wouldn ’ t be complete without the naming the Trailblazer and Citizen of the Year – an honor that went to Donell Gwinn and Stacy Hart , respectively .
118 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2022-2023