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President/CEO
Gary Molberg
Membership
Andrea McClintock, VP
Lindsey Arbeiter
Christy Bigler
Communications
Penni Bentley, Sr. Director
Business Development,
Ag & Governmental
Affairs
Jason Harrison, VP
Mary Garcia
Lauren Austin
Quality of Life & Arts
Becky Zenor, Director
Convention &
Visitor Council
Dan Quandt, VP
Eric Miller
Tina Brohlin
Kashion Smith
Emilea White
Ashley Oakes
Stephanie Andrews
Mary Ramirez
Ashley Gutierrez
Hope Stokes
Visitor Information
Center & Gift Shop
Braley Hand, Manager
Denise Rayford
Tiffiny Shepherd
PO Box 9480
Amarillo, TX 79105
806.373.7800 806.373.3909 fax
Amarillo-Chamber.org
M A R 2 0 1 6
1 0 0 0 S O U T H P O L K - A M A R I L L O , T E X A S
Directory, Relocation Guide & Maps Hot off the Press Some of the Chamber’s most useful resources for businesses and new or potential residents are now available at the Chamber offices. Detailed city maps and 46-page relocation guides are great when you are recruiting
new employees or know someone new to the area. Both are free and available to pick up at the Chamber offices at 10th & Polk during regular business hours. Out-of-town guests can call our office or complete an online request form on our website and be sent these items by mail for free as well. The Chamber prints and distributes more than 1,000 relocation guides for individuals and businesses on average every year, with more than 300 requests processed by mail. The guide is bound into the front portion of the Business Directory, or you can view or download a PDF of the relocation guide on our website at www.amarillo-chamber.org/live. Last month, the official 2016 Chamber Business Directory was mailed to the primary contact for all of our more than 1,700 members. This useful tool contains an alphabetical listing of Chamber members along with a primary contact name, ad-dress, phone number and website if available. We hope that you look to this directory first when searching for products or services for you or your business. To make searching even easier, the directory also contains the grey pages that sepa-rate our 1,700 members into more than 300 category list-ings...everything from Accountant to Yard Décor. If you are not in the directory, don’t panic just yet. If you joined the Chamber after our printer deadline of December 5, 2015, you just missed the cutoff and will not find your business listed in this year’s printed directory. Keep in mind that no matter when you join, your membership listing is al-ways available in our online directory 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as long as your membership dues are current. We will keep you posted on the cutoff deadline for the 2017 direc-tory. If you were a current member prior to that deadline and still can’t find your business listing, we need to know. We try our best to maintain correct and current database information, but
accidents can and will happen. We sincerely apologize for anything we got wrong. See page 6 for two corrections and our humble apologies. Hopefully you found your business listing and all of your infor-mation to be correct. If you need to make corrections to your listing (contact name, address, phone, web, etc.), please give us a call to update the information, or we can send you a link to update the listing yourself. We love when the new directories come out. They remind us of how fortunate we are to have so many great businesses and organizations in the Amarillo area that believe in support-ing the Chamber and the economic growth of our community.
Ribbon Cuttings 2-3
New Members 3-4
Renewing Members 5
Mega Market—Coffee & Connections Recap
6
Directory Corrections 6
BusinessConnection & Summer Celebration
6
CVC News & PRIME Service 8-9
Editor’s Corner 10
https://www.flickr.com/photos/amarillochamber/albums/72157666395830952
https://www.flickr.com/photos/amarillochamber/albums/72157666395830952
https://www.flickr.com/photos/amarillochamber/albums/72157666395830952
Amarillo Pediatric Clinic 1901 Medi Park, Suite 65
Blue Front Oyster Bar & Café 801 SW 6th Avenue
Click on http://bit.ly/RibbonCuttingsFeb2016 to download these pictures.
2
Kindred At Home Hospice 3232 Hobbs
Open Heart Home 6818 Plum Creek Drive
Jenny Craig 1619 S Kentucky
BSA/CareXpress Urgent Care Downtown 1400 S Van Buren
My Home Team Media 2505 Lakeview Drive, Suite 302B
Check out the Job Bank
Let us give you a hand when it comes to finding the right job or the right employee. Because Amarillo is a great
place to live, learn, WORK and play, the Chamber offers a FREE Job Bank service on our website under the WORK
tab. There’s over 40 jobs in a wide array of industries currently listed and new ones added all the time!
Post your Job: http://bit.ly/PostYourJob
View available Jobs: http://bit.ly/ViewJobListings
Got questions? Email Penni at [email protected] or call 806-342-2005. If your company is holding a
job fair for the public, email me and I’ll share the info on our website and social media.
Prime Lending 3440 Bell, Suite 326
Reed Beverage Company 3701 SE 25th Ave.
Welcome New Members Thanks for Joining in February
3
Amarillo Pediatric Clinic, PLLC Hilda Cruz Julie Reel 1901 Medi Park, Ste 65 Amarillo, TX 79106 (806) 468-4333 www.apcamarillo.com Private pediatric practice. Bliss Salt Spa Diana Hewitt 2920 Duniven Circle, Ste 2 Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 336-5544 www.Bliss-salt-spa.com Fully automated spa that offers Halotherapy, FIT LED body wrap, teeth whitening, Lumiere LED facial and Rocky Mountain LED Sauna. Cut Salon & Blowout Bar / Amarillo Man James Koch 206 SW 10th Amarillo, TX 79101 (806) 367-8528 www.cutsalonblowoutbar.com James Koch is bringing his unique eye and talent for art, music and beauty, and combining these into what is sure to be the premier
salon/barber experience. Excel Machinery Wade Johnson Randy Lundsford 12100 E Interstate 40 Amarillo, TX 79118 (806) 335-1553 Fax: (806) 335-3949 www.excelmach.com Excel designs, manufactures, sells and services equipment and parts for the aggregate, construction and fabrication industries. Fresh Start of Monroe, Inc. Augusta Walker Jessica Price 6500 Canyon Dr., Ste 500 Amarillo, TX 79109 (817) 243-9661 We provide employment opportu-nities for individuals with disabili-ties. Our goal is to enhance their personal strength, enabling each to live and work successfully in the community.
Kindred at Home Hospice Laurie Cochrane Amy Bosley 3232 Hobbs Road Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 372-7696 www.kindredathome.com At Kindred at Home-Hospice, we improve the quality of life for patients facing terminal diagno-ses while providing support for their loved ones. Master Pumps and Equipment Chance Hirschler Terry Kyle 6315 Canyon Dr Amarillo, TX 79119 (806) 353-7088 www.masterpumps.com Serving the industry since 1968, our pump company has provided quality products, prompt services, and the best prices around. Metabolic Research Center of Amarillo Pete James Anita Baty 1901 Medi Park Dr., Suite 1058 Amarillo, TX 79109
(806) 356-6066 Fax: (806) 356-6762 www.emetabolic.com Metabolic Research Center is a national weight management organization helping people reach and maintain their weight loss goals. MSC Industrial Supply Rick DeLeon 8300 City View Dr Amarillo, TX 79118 (806) 282-8898 www.MSCdirect.com Our goal is to be the best Indus-trial Supply Company in the world judged by our Customer, Part-ners, Vendors, Shareholders and our Associates.
The Lofts at 10th 202 1/2 SW 10th
the PARC 413 SW 6th
Xyngular Health Wellness & Weight Loss 806.206.6126
Check the Week’s Sneak Peek for a list of upcoming
ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, committee meetings,
and more! http://bit.ly/ChamberWSP
4
Welcome New Members Thanks for Joining in February
My Place Hotel Vickie Wyant Anna Watson 2208 Cinema Dr. Amarillo, TX 79124 (855) 200-5685 www.myplacehotels.com My Place is designed to meet the demands of the economy traveler with clean, modern rooms. Per-fectly suited for short or long term stays. Opening Spring 2016. NewcrestImage Construction KJ Jones
Ignacio Sauceda 550 S. Buchanan Amarillo, TX 79101 (214) 774-4650 www.newcrestimage.com Privately owned, Texas based hotel development, construction, and management firm. Our mis-sion is to inspire creativity and innovation to operate trendsetting hotels.
ONEOK, Inc. Janet Carlisle Michelle Thomas 2501 SW 42nd Amarillo, TX 79110 www.oneok.com Diversified energy company and the general partner of ONEOK Partners, one of the nation's larg-est publicly traded master limited partnerships. Shay Wesley Boudoir Photography Ms. Shay Wesley
4101 SW 34th, Ste C Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 570-4387 www.shaywesley.com Shay Wesley Boudoir Photog-raphy is known for creating the most beautiful Boudoir and Glam-our style photos. She believes in celebrating the beauty of every woman.
State Farm/Steven Lay Steven Lay Ryan Garza 6014 S. Western, #300 Amarillo, TX 79110 (806) 354-2195 www.insurethepanhandle.com We help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. We provide insurance for Auto, Home and Property, Life and Health, and also offer Banking Products, Annuities, and Mutual Funds.
We’re on Fun 99.7 every Tuesday
at 8:30am to talk about the
week's events, conventions &
newest members. It’s the most
jam-packed three-minute
segment. If you miss it live, you can always check out the video
recap with more information on our YouTube Channel, Facebook page
or on the Week’s Sneak Peek page on our website.
Mark Your Calendar:
4/7 Golden Nail Awards
4/14 DC Days
4/19 Partners In Education Dinner
5/1-7 National Travel & Tourism Week
5/19 BusinessConnection®
6/2 Longhorn Cattle Drive Downtown
6/9 After Hours Networking
6/16 Summer Celebration
7/28 Chamber Open Golf Tournament
8/4 After Hours Networking
9/8 Good Times Celebration® Barbecue Cook-Off
9/24 Chamber Challenge Shooting Event
10/6 After Hours Networking
10/20 Annual Banquet & Business Excellence Awards
11/10 Fall Mega Market
12/1 After Hours Networking
Top Zone Media Group, LLC Chris Hatfield Maurisa Gary 3226 Hobbs Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 553-5332 www.topzonemedia.com Website design, website develop-ment, SEO Services, and website marketing.
REMEMBER: You can pay your Chamber invoices online and even update your membership list-ing, including address, phone, fax, email, website, description of services and more. Visit the MEMBERS ONLY section of our website or email [email protected] for your login name and password if you have forgotten it. Need help? Give her a call at 342-2004.
Click here to go to the Members Only Login Section: http://bit.ly/MembersOnlyLogin
5
806 Sports Accent West-The Amarillo Magazine Ag Resource Management
AG Texas Farm Credit Services All World Travel Amarillo Area Tennis
Association Amarillo Club Amarillo Fairfield Inn and
Suites West by Marriott Amarillo Globe-News Amarillo Greentree Village Armstrong County Museum, Goodnight Historical Center & Gem Theatre
Asset Max Assiter & Associates, LLC A-Town/Hi-Tech Attorney Dean Boyd, The Strong Arm Awaken Medical Day Spa Battery Joe
Baumann Capital, LLC Benchmark Business Solutions BNI West Texas Buckthal, W P Buffalo Wild Wings Calico County
Casters of Amarillo Inc. Clarendon College - Amarillo Cosmetology Center Coalition of Health Services Cobblestone Custom Home Design Inc.
Community Options Cox Funeral Home Credit Bureau Financial
Services Inc D & K Automotive Davidson Oil Company
Double D Siding, Windows, & Gutters Double J Siding & Windows Executive Office Suites of
Amarillo Fairly Group First Mortgage Home Lending
First United Bank Four Winds Construction Co., Inc.
Freeman's Flowers Inc Future Lawns of the High Plains, Inc. George's Shoes Golden Spread Redi-Mix, Inc Goodin's Jewelry
H & R Food L.P. High Plains Dermatology Center, P A High Plains Retreat Center IHOP #1337 Jack Knight Insurance Associates
Jan Werner Adult Day Care Center Jane Juett Jenkins Doors & Windows JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Karr and Hardee Dentistry KGNC/TPAB Museum
KHIVA Shrine Center La Quinta Inn East LAV-Amarillo Le Chateau Pet Resort LegalShield - Nita Campbell, Independent Associate
Logan's Roadhouse Lone Star Ballet Inc Mayfield Law Firm, LLP
Millers Cleaners Montage Salon, Spa & Yoga Studio Moss Body Shop, Inc.
Motel 6 East Nurses Unlimited, Inc. Omega Electronics OMNI Capital Corporation
Orthodontics of Amarillo Pablo Energy II, LLC Panhandle Presort Services Perryton-Ochiltree Chamber
of Commerce Phone Medic of Amarillo Pop-A-Lock
Precision Resource Company Public Steel Inc Quality Carpets & Flooring Regence Health Network Republic Services Rick Lovelady Carpets
San Jacinto Christian Academy Scarborough Specialties Sharp's Motorsports Inc Sleep Inn Airport Southwest Airlines Co. State Farm/Kay McMinn
State National Bank of Groom State Representative Four Price Tasco Tascosa Road Fellowship/ Oneighty
Texas Bearing Company Texas Legacy Land Title The Arbors The Craig Senior Living Top of Texas Square & Round Dance Assoc.
Trinity Lutheran Church, School & Child Care U.S. Cleaners
Valet Cleaners Valmed Home Health Solutions, Inc. Vendors Flea Market, LLC
Western Builders of Amarillo, Inc. Wildcat Bluff Nature Center William Kemp DDS
Wolfe Office Machines Zips Carwash
The Chamber held it’s first Cof-
fee & Connections morning Mega Market event on March 10th. More than 70 business leaders representing close to 60 companies participated in the fun networking event, which included breakfast and 3 hours
of face-to-face networking. Special thanks to this year’s sponsors…AAA Texas, AllStar Business Concepts, Amarillo Economic Develop-ment Corporation, Brookdale Sleepy Hollow, Holiday Inn West Amarillo Medical Center, J Ferg Roofing & Foam, Neighbors Emergency Center and Street Auto Group. Sponsor photo below, and view more event photos at http://bit.ly/MegaMarketSpring2016Pics.
Left to Right: Kayce Carter (Neighbors Emergency Center), Joshua Bailey (Neighbors Emergency Center), Debra King (Brookdale Sleepy Hollow), Reagan Hales (Amarillo EDC), Nadine Acotsa (AAA Texas), Chris Christian (All Star Busi-ness Concepts) Brad Paschal (Street Auto Group), Nick Fischer (Street Auto Group), Princess Wheat (J Ferg Pros)
6
Don’t miss out on the area’s largest business-to-business
tradeshow on Thursday, May 19th at the Amarillo Civic
Center Complex. We expect to have more than 350 busi-
nesses represented and a crowd of over 5,000 attendees
for the one-day event. A limited number of booths are
still available to promote your business, but be sure to
call the Chamber today to guarantee your spot in the
show.
And, back by popular demand will be the Tradeshow
Food Court to serve lunch to attendees from 11am—2pm
for an all-inclusive ticket price of $10 in advance or $15
at the show. If you are a restaurant or caterer and are
interested in giving away samples of old favorites or new
additions, please contact the Chamber to get a Food
Court booth. Watch for more details coming soon, or con-
tact Jason at [email protected] or
806.342.2018 with questions. Check out the website for
the current list of sponsors and details at:
www.amarillo-chamber.org/businessconnection.
2016 Directory Corrections2016 Directory Corrections2016 Directory Corrections
Oliver Saddle Shop Richard Oliver 3016 Plains Blvd., 79102 (806) 372-7562 / Fax: (806) 372-2453 http://www.oliversaddle.com/ Saddlery/Harnesses/Leather Gifts Oliver’s is Texas' Oldest Saddle Shop, established in 1917. They have been serving the American cowboy with quality leather goods for four generations, and have been a Chamber member since 1989. We sincerely apologize that they were somehow left out of the printed directory. We incorrectly credited a photo of a cyclist on page 30 of the directory & relocation guide as being part of the Amarillo CVC’s collection. That photo was actually part of
a photo contest conducted by Palo Duro Canyon and was submitted by photographer Gregory Collins. Our
apologies to Mr. Collins for that great photo.
Be sure to check this newsletter or our website for upcoming event
dates. Some dates printed in the directory may have changed.
Visit our website at:Visit our website at:
AmarilloAmarillo--Chamber.orgChamber.org
Penni Bentley, EditorPenni Bentley, Editor [email protected]
The Chamber eNewsletter is published by the Amarillo Chamber of
Commerce, 1000 South Polk, Amarillo, Texas 79101. It is provided
free of charge to Chamber members. Address correspondence to
Chamber Communications at the address listed above, call
806.373.7800 or fax 806.373.3909.
2015-16 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Chair Brice Sheets
Chair-Elect Jeff Mitchell
Finance Chair William Ware
President/CEO Gary Molberg
Past Chair Bill Jenkins
Membership Council Chris Reed
Business Council David Hemphill
Governmental Affairs Council Bob Murray
Quality of Life Council Penelope Davies
Ag Council Leon Church
Convention & Visitor Council Tony Freeman
City of Amarillo Mayor Paul Harpole
Directors
Randy Arceneaux
Spanky Assister
Sherman Bass
Greg Burgess
Mark Crawford
Buzz David
Dusty Doyle
Aaron Emerson
Raymond Gaitan
Jason Herrick
Bryan Kauffman
Carrie Irwin
John Kritser
Sherry Kunka
John Luciano
Shannon Massey
Greg Meador
Michelle Reichert
Garry Rich
Salvador Rivas
Aaron Sage
Nicole Shannon
Joe Street
Toby Tucker
Does your business have a Facebook
page? Write on our Facebook timeline
and we’ll share your information with our 6,000+ fans. http://bit.ly/ePVylz
http://on.fb.me/5DZVNH
http://bit.ly/hvluwj
6,210 Fans on
3,958 Followers on
17,891 Photos on
Flickr
7
Convention & Visitor Council
2015-16 Year-To-Date Statistics
Tourism
Occupancy Rate (February) 56.9%
Group Tour Buses (Fiscal YTD) 90
Visitor Center Guests (Fiscal YTD) 982
Film Commission
Information requests (Fiscal YTD) 10
Sport & Convention Groups
# of Conventions/Groups in Amarillo (Fiscal YTD) 22
Delegates (Fiscal YTD) 10,647
Room Nights (Fiscal YTD) 2,596
Convention Delegates Booked-Future Conventions (Fiscal YTD)
13,445
Convention Delegate Room Nights Booked (Fiscal YTD) 7,695
Attendees Booked-Future Sport Events (Fiscal YTD) 2,625
Room Nights Booked (Fiscal YTD) 2,312
Communications / CVC Website
CVC Website Visits (Google Analytics—February)
55,215
CVC Website Unique Visitors (Google Analytics—February)
44,152
CVC Website Page Views (Google Analytics—February)
96,266
CVC Website Average Visit Duration (Google Analytics—February)
1:16
Social Media
Facebook Page Likes Thru February (VisitAmarilloTX)
38,111
WELCOME THESE SPORT &
CONVENTION GROUPS TO AMARILLO April 1-3 Texas Assn. of School Boards 40 Annual Leadership Conference 2-3 Southwest Trampoline & Tumbling Association 250 2016 Texas & New Mexico State Championship 11-12 Gold Wing Road Riders Association 275 40 to Phoenix 14-16 Weller Wedding 20 21-23 Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras 60 TASO Annual Conference 24-30 Amarillo Police Department 60 Shooting Incident Reconstruction Training May 5-7 Greater Southwest Music Festival 300 45th Annual Event 6-8 National Club Baseball Assn/CollClubSports 175 2016 NCBA D I/II District VII Playoff Tournament 7-8 Amarillo area Tennis Association 200 2016 CHAMPS Major Zone Tournament 13-14 Texas Historical Commission 50 Annual Board Meeting 13-15 Yellow City Comicon 75 YC3 13-16 Texas Tech School of Pharmacy 2,500 Graduation 15-17 Foundation for Women’s Resources 100 Leadership Texas 15-19 Texas Cultural Trust 90 Texas Women for the Arts June 10-12 Gateway Church 50 Fifty Plus-Life Group 14-17 American Contract Bridge League 200 Duplicate Bridge of Amarillo Tournament 16-19 Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witness 2,500 20-22 Mediators of Texas 15 Advanced Family Mediation Class 23-26 Helms Briscoe 10 Fortune Builders Real Estate Insiders Summit July 14-17 Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witness 2,500 15-17 USSSA (U.S. Specialty Sports Association) 460 2016 Youth Slow Pitch World Tournament West 21-24 AMA-CON 2016 1,700
8
9
What Others Are Saying By: Eric Miller, CVC Communications Director
In the crowded world of communications, it isn’t always what you
are saying about yourself. Sometimes, it’s more important what others are saying about you. Amarillo was blessed in the past
months with lots of talk about our city on blogs, main stream media and the internet.
To get started, see what travel blogger Anshula Varma thought of
her recent visit to Amarillo on her blog, Passport to Eden. Anshula already has three stories posted and expects to have more up very
soon. Check out her take on A Quick Guide to Amarillo, A Picture of
Palo Duro Canyon and 4 Offbeat Things to do in Amarillo.
Award-winning freelance travel writer Patrice Raplee was in Texas last fall for her web site Offbeat Travel. She loved the western
theme and is ready to head back for some serious hiking in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Her story appeared just last week.
Cynthia Calvert, editor of The Tribune chain of weekly newspapers north of Houston, also visited in 2015, bringing her husband Larry
along for photographic help. Larry also played a couple of our golf courses and helped in reviewing them for their work. Their work
appeared in early March.
Not many people met David Sinclair during his visit to Amarillo last
November for the World Championship Ranch Rodeo. He is a noted horse photographer in the UK and maintains some great images
from around the world. But, the American Cowboy caught his fancy and he is working on several projects based on his trip. His iconic
photo for the trip was taken one evening from the catwalk high above the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum. It’s reprinted with his
permission. Check his web site for more.
We are always looking for accolades, rankings or good shout outs
in the media and especially enjoy when we have a big media play-er like Texas Monthly take notice. The last weekend of the Cheech
Marin exhibit of Chicano Art at the Amarillo Museum of Art caught the eye of Texas Monthly’s web site. Speaking of Texas Monthly,
look for a strong full-page ad and another full-page of advertorial
copy in the May 2016 issue as Amarillo participates in the Texas Panhandle special section.
And the Houston Chronicle web site keeps track of the entire state
and recently ran a piece on the most “Texas” restaurants in the Lone Star State. Yep, our Big Texan Steak Ranch made the list.
This summer keep an eye out for Texas Co-op Power (circulation over 1 million) and a feature photo from OHMS Café.
Finally, make sure to bookmark the Amarillo Stories section of the Amarillo CVC web site. The stories by freelance writers provide an
extra layer of understanding about Amarillo. New ones are drafted and posted to the web site regularly. So stop by often to keep up
to date.
Have you found something about Amarillo? Please share it. An extra set of eyes scanning the media world is always helpful.
Members of the CVC’s Convention & Tourism Committee as well as other Chamber volunteers recently dropped in on the following businesses to deliver an AMA Prime Service lapel pin to these employees who provided someone with PRIME customer service. If you receive outstanding service at an area business, nominate that person for a Prime Service award. Just call the CVC office at 374-1497 or visit http://www.visitamarillo.com/primeservice/.
Congratulations to these Prime Service
Award Winners in February
Chris Perez Upshaw Insurance Agency
Richard Ornelas
Outback Steakhouse
Denise Rayford Amarillo Visitor Information Center
Kent Trinh
Ross-Osage Animal Clinic
Nu Trinh Ross-Osage Animal Clinic
Patty Caldwell
United Market Street Coffee Shop
Brad Paschal Street Auto Group
This photograph was captured by travel writer and photographer
David Sinclair at the 2015 World Championship Ranch Rodeo at
the Amarillo Civic Center.
10
Editor’s Corner By: Penni Bentley Senior Communications Director Direct: 806.342.2005 Cell: 806.674.7334 [email protected]
A couple of weeks ago, I was so inspired for what I might
write about in this little corner. The word “perseverance” came to mind as I watched the Texas A&M Aggies come
from a 12-point deficit in the last 30-something seconds of their basketball game to eventually beat Northern
Iowa in double overtime in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Keep in mind, I’m a proud, bleed-maroon, Fighting Texas
Aggie Class of ‘94 fan that kept watching the game even when my husband (Class of ’93 and a complete 2-percenter) said “there’s no way they will pull this out.” I
cheered, jumped from my seat and could not believe the true comeback we were witnessing. It was a great example of perseverance. There was still a chance for
my bracket. And for a solid week, I lived blissfully in the hope that my Aggies would go all the way.
Sadly, in the Sweet 16, Oklahoma completely shattered my poor bracket that had A&M picked to win it all. (I’m also a true optimist when it comes to my alma ma-
ter, while my husband, the realist, is still alive and pinning his hopes on North Car-olina for the win.) But, oh well.
Even if you don’t care a flying-free-throw about basketball, there are lessons to be
learned in everything. We’ve all faced that challenge that seems insurmountable, whether it is time clicking away on a scoreboard, deadlines looming on a calendar,
or numbers staring back at you on a scale. Some days you just hang your head and think there is no way you will accomplish the goal, make the deadline, get the
sale, or reach the finish line. And many times...you won’t.
I truly believe one of the most important lessons children should learn is that not everyone can be the winner. Not everyone gets a trophy, and some don’t even get
to play. There will be disappointments in life, and you will lose at some point. No one owes you anything. Not to be a Debbie-Downer-Dream-Crusher, but the earli-
er in life people learn that, the sooner we can grow up a new generation of adults that don’t quit when things get tough. That don’t sit on the sidelines feeling enti-
tled to a bigger paycheck or more perks in life just because they’ve been handed rewards without merit and compliments their whole life. Don’t get me wrong, I
firmly believe in the power of words in shaping the tiny humans of this world. They should be encouraged, praised and loved all the time, but with that, should
also come some discipline, correction, and conversations about what it means to commit to something even when it’s hard or un-fun. Because the teachable mo-
ments for a parent are HUGE when you dry the tears of a disappointed child, and they are allowed to learn what it feels like to really win or accomplish something
because of their own hard work and perseverance.
Some will never give A&M credit for those last few seconds where they turned the game around. Many will say A&M didn’t win so much as Northern Iowa lost be-
cause of their mistakes. That’s kind of a glass-half-empty analogy. It all depends on how you look at it. If you focus on the positive aspects, you can be inspired
that they took advantage in a critical moment and seized the opportunity to not give up. Or you can focus on the negative and feel sorry for the team that blew it
and gave away the win through a series of mistakes that snowballed out of control.
The story lies in what YOU would do when facing that critical moment in life. Do you let one or two mistakes discourage and fluster you to the point of giving up?
Or do you look at all of the time you wasted and finally pull your head out and say, “it’s now or never” and push forward?
To wrap all of this up in a somewhat cheesy package, I’m reminded of a great inspirational speech from the movie Rocky Balboa (or some might call Rocky 6)
that he made to his adult son about blame and excuses and how many times you can get knocked down and keep moving forward. It’s cinematic gold of course.
Here’s the clip: http://bit.ly/RockyBalboaLifeLesson. (Apologies for the ad that YouTube may force on you before playing the clip.) And don’t judge me for still
loving the underdog movie. I’m looking forward to watching Rocky 7 (aka CREED) for the second time this weekend!
As always, tell us how we are doing. Give us your suggestions, feedback, and
input. Feel free to write on our Facebook wall. Get involved. We are proud to be YOUR Chamber.
Volunteers play a vital role in the success of any organization, and the Chamber is no different. Chamber President, Gary Mol-berg, found this online article from UC San Diego he wanted to share with the top reasons for volunteering.
Community Service: Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer Thinking of becoming a volunteer? See a list of reasons that will help you make up your mind. http://bit.ly/UCSanDiegoArticle2015
#10: It's good for you.
Volunteering provides physical and mental rewards. It:
Reduces stress: Experts report that when you focus on
someone other than yourself, it interrupts usual tension-
producing patterns.
Makes you healthier: Moods and emotions, like optimism,
joy, and control over one's fate, strengthen the immune sys-
tem.
#9: It saves resources.
Volunteering provides valuable community services so more mon-ey can be spent on local improvements.
The estimated value of a volunteer's time is $15.39 per hour.
#8: Volunteers gain professional experience.
You can test out a career.
#7: It brings people together. As a volunteer you assist in:
Uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a
common goal
Building camaraderie and teamwork
#6: It promotes personal growth and self esteem.
Understanding community needs helps foster empathy and self-efficacy.
#5: Volunteering strengthens your community.
As a volunteer you help:
Support families (daycare and eldercare)
Improve schools (tutoring, literacy)
Support youth (mentoring and after-school programs)
Beautify the community (beach and park cleanups)
#4: You learn a lot. Volunteers learn things like these:
Self: Volunteers discover hidden talents that may change
your view on your self worth.
Government: Through working with local non-profit agen-
cies, volunteers learn about the functions and operation of our government.
Community: Volunteers gain knowledge of local resources
available to solve community needs.
#3: You get a chance to give back. People like to support community resources that they use them-
selves or that benefit people they care about.
#2: Volunteering encourages civic responsibility. Community service and volunteerism are an investment in our
community and the people who live in it.
#1: You make a difference.
Every person counts!
