Last year’s Small Business Christmas Party was bittersweet. After a few years without a party for some reason that rhymes with movid, the annual fundraiser for the Tumbler Ridge Children’s Centre Society returned…just in time for the announcement that, moving forward, there would be no Tumbler Ridge Children’s Centre Society (TRCCS).
The Daycare had been taken over by the United Way, who brought with them additional sources of funding. And so the TRCCS members handed over the proverbial key and went to lay down for a well-deserved nap.
But that left a gaping hole in the Tumbler Ridge Community Events Calendar. While Conuma has enough employees and enough scratch to hold not one but four parties (two in Tumbler and two in Chetwynd, plus two more just for kids), many small businesses just don’t have the resources to plan their own party.
But never fear, for the Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce is stepping up to fill the gap.
This year’s Small Business Christmas Party is scheduled for December 15, 2023, and will be a blend of the old and the new.
Like Small Business Christmas Parties past, this year’s event will feature great food, lively music, and fun-filled activities. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Eric from Designs and Details by Eric, who will be bringing his expertise to ensure the event is both elegant and entertaining,” says Chamber Executive Director Jerrilyn Kirk.
New this year will be the Community Excellence Awards. The chamber began the awards a few years ago, with the plan to have a blow-out party to celebrate.
Instead, they ran straight into Covid, and so the first two years of the Small Business Awards were held virtually.
“These awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of businesses and individuals in our community,” says Kirk.
Right now, says Kirk, they are looking for businesses large and small to help make the event bigger and better than ever.
And a portion of the profits from the event will be going to the Johnny Malcolm foundation, a local non-profit that raises and distributes funds for organized kids sport in Tumbler Ridge.
Details for the party are still being worked out. If you wish to donate a prize, or help out in some other way, contact Kirk at tumblerchamber@gmail.com. Watch for ticket announcements on the TR Chamber Facebook page.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.