The Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce will hold its Annual Dinner Meeting on Tuesday, June 17, at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. The chamber will honor community businesses and leaders for their services to the community. The dinner also will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, and will feature a silent auction with a wide array of items for attendees to bid on including historic pictures of the city.
To celebrate the anniversary, the dinner will include a special presentation on the history of the Chamber and the City of Bristol as well as recognition of the “founding fathers” of the chamber. The two “founding fathers” who are still members, Barnes Group and C.V. Mason, also will be recognized.
Jim Albert, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber commented in a press release, “This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and we will make special recognition of our founding officers at an Annual Dinner of the Bristol and Central Connecticut chambers on June 17 at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. The five founding officers of the Bristol Board of Trade (changed the name to Bristol Chamber of Commerce in 1915) were: John Humphrey Sessions (president), Edward Ingraham (first vice-president), Edward Butler Dunbar (second vice-president), Carlyle Fuller Barnes (treasurer), and Carlos Virgil (C.V.) Mason (secretary). Two of our founding members, Barnes Group and C.V. Mason, are still in the chamber and still located in downtown Bristol. As I research the history of the chamber and our founders, I am struck by the rich heritage we all share and how much impact our founders still have on our chamber and our area. We owe them a lot more than we realize, and I am proud to be standing on the shoulders of such giants. Please come to this year’s Annual Dinner to celebrate our incredible past, present and future.”
This year’s award recipients are Ken Crowley for the E. Bartlett Barnes Distinguished Service Award, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Bristol for the Distinguished Business of the Year Award, Stephen AutoMall Centre for the Service Business of the Year Award, Shepard Meadow Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. for the Special Service Award, Bristol Adult Resource Center, Inc. for the Small Business Award, Donald Padlo for the Volunteer of the Year Award, TEAM Bristol for the Spirit of Bristol Award, and The Dental Hygiene Program of Tunxis Community College for the Health Care Services Award.
To register for this event, to view sponsorship opportunities, and to purchase an advertisement in the program booklet, visit www.CentralCTChambers.org and click on the Chamber Calendar under News and Events. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program, awards, and dinner.
For more information, please contact the Central CT Chambers of Commerce at Info@CentralCTChambers.org or (860) 584-4718.