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Santa Cruz News

ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
9/11/2019 Chamber
2019 Gala Annual Recognition Dinner October 17 @ The Cocoanut Grove - A Place To Be Seen

2019 Gala Annual Recognition Dinner October 17 @ the Cocoanut Grove - A Place to be Seen

Every year the Santa Cruz County Chamber holds our Annual Gala Recognition Dinner. While the Chamber is celebrating 130 years of promoting the greater Santa Cruz County business community, our records reflect that this is our 101st Gala dinner. 

The definition of a Gala Dinner is pretty simple: A gala is a big party. If you're going to a gala, you'll want to dress up — you'll want to look great for the best party of the year. A gala often features entertainment and dinner, and sometimes dancing and an auction. It’s like a prom — but for adults.

The Chamber believes the “annual party” is more than an early fall event to honor our most inspiring community leaders, it is time to make a toast to our community and to be ‘in the room’ on this special night. Sure, we will recognize our distinguished guests, Martine Watkins as our woman of the year, Frank Bien and Lloyd Tabb as our Men of the Year, the Dream Inn as the business of the year, Monterey Bay Community Power as the organization of the year and Cynthia Mathews as our legacy award honoree. If you know anything about their contributions to Santa Cruz County, you should be in the room to congratulate and celebrate with them. (Click here!)

We have a very special keynote speaker this year. René Schlaepfer - the lead pastor of Twin Lakes Church will join us for an inspirational opening talk about the community and the Chamber’s 130th year.   If you haven’t listened to Rene speak — you are in for a treat.  

So you are wondering what else is different about this year’s recognition Gala event than past years? First, you only turn 130 once and the Chamber is working on a special program that highlights the Chamber’s past contributions to Santa Cruz County over 13 decades.

Here are a couple of photos to take you down memory lane —





As I write this eNews story, we are just a month away from the Gala.   In typical Santa Cruz fashion, we like to wait and see who’s coming to the party before we commit. I can tell you that ticket sales for the 2019 Gala are moving at a faster clip than in past years.  We are more than halfway full for the Coconut Grove! This is not surprising, every Chamber breakfast, lunch and dinner events have sold out for the past 3 years. 

Sampling of the whose already registered to ensure a seat includes:

1st Capital Bank
Bay Federal Credit Union
CASA
David Lyng Real Estate
Dream Inn
Dignity Health
Dientes Community Dental
Ecology Action
Monterey Bay Community Power
UCSC
Sutter Health
Sereno Group
Santa Cruz Warriors
Santa Cruz Art League
Rising International
KAZU
O’Neill Sea Odessey
Wells Fargo Bank
Redbook Residential
First Class Fundraising
Talmadge Construction
Quantum Resources
Rebel Photobooth
Wynn Capital Management
Retired executives from Poly/Plantronics
Santa Cruz Signs
Santa Cruz Animal Shelter Foundation

The registration list is growing daily!

If you are an elected official, a judge, business executive, public sector official, a non-profit community leader, a home builder or a candidate for elected office next year, the 2019 Gala Recognition Dinner is the place to be. There are a few missing companies, organizations and individuals that are regular attendees of the Chamber’s annual event who haven’t signed up yet. You know who you are (wink wink). I won’t remind you again that last year’s Gala sold out two weeks in advance of the event date.

We are in a wonderful coastal community — yet each day we face daunting challenges from the natural environment to unfortunate man-made issues that can paint a different picture of our county. 

For one shining night, we can raise above the daily work grind and come celebrate all that is grand about Santa Cruz County. Please take the time to register for this year’s Gala Recognition Dinner. I promise it will be a night full of memories.   As they say around town — See you at the Cocoanut Grove where you can play a leading role about Santa Cruz County’s past, present and future. (Click here to register!)

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Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
Mailing Address: 7960 Soquel Drive, Suite B112, Aptos CA 95003
Phone: (831) 457-3713

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