Elizabeth City Chamber News

Elizabeth City Chamber News by: Holly Staples

What a wild and strange year 2020 has been! Our goal throughout 2020 has been to help you The first two and a half months began in the navigate the twists and turns we have experienced most promising way. We kicked off the year with our during this very unusual year. It’s been an honor to 109th Annual Dinner in January with a sell-out crowd connect with you through meaningful conversations, of over 350 attendees. February was a busy month, and to hear your creative ideas and positive outlooks. with two Business After Hours celebrations and a No matter what the future brings, you can be sure ribbon cutting, in addition to our regular monthly net- that we will be here to help you and your business working events. In March, we were able to hold our succeed. inaugural Economic Forecast Breakfast (also a soldout event), as well as two ribbon cuttings and our annual St. Patrick’s Day Bowling event, before we were forced to discontinue our networking gatherings. Through the spring and summer, our focus shifted to providing you with the most up to date information and resources regarding assistance programs for your business and safety protocols. We reached out to all of you to check in, we increased our one-onone business consulting , and we grew our social media following with timely and relevant postings to update the public on the modified business hours, services, and offerings from your businesses.

In September, we had our most successful Chamber Golf Classic ever, and we began to ease back into our networking events. By limiting attendance, we’ve been able to hold a few ribbon cuttings, Business After Hours, Lunch Bunch, and Coffee with The Chamber events. You have been supportive of our efforts to bring the business community together, and we thank you for your encouragement.

December and the holiday season will be a little different this year, but we encourage you to participate in any way that you can. Eliza the Chamber Elf is back this year, visiting our members and giving away prizes. Look for her on Facebook everyday at noon through December 11. If you’re the first to correctly guess where she is, you’ll win a prize! We also have a Salvation Army Angel Tree at our office. Please stop by or give us a call to select someone to help this holiday season. Additionally, we will have our 9th Annual Reindeer Games Bowling event on December 9 at Albemarle Lanes. Attendance is limited, so let us know today if you want to be a part of this most fun, festive evening!

(StatePoint) Unfortunately, many Americans will be unable to celebrate the holidays with their extended family and friends in person this year, making it all the more important to boost holiday cheer at home. Here are few festive ideas for getting into the holiday spirit during this socially distant season.

• Don’t skip out on the decorations: You may not be hosting any houseguests, gatherings or big meals, but this shouldn’t be the year to skip out on the fullscale decorating you typically enjoy. Lights, trees, garlands, stockings and wreaths can evoke favorite memories of past seasons and invite hope for future ones all season long. You can even set up a video conference to enjoy the camaraderie of decorating with far-off loved ones. • Deck the halls with music. Add a digital piano to your holiday-scape to help elevate the mood with Christmas carols and other seasonal tunes. Consider Casio’s line of PX-S console digital pianos, which have a striking design that fit any room, décor and mood. A glossy top panel and unibody case evoke a luxurious acoustic grand in a sleek case that’s barely larger than the keys themselves. Integrated Bluetooth audio lets you connect your device wirelessly to the musical keyboard, so you can play all your favorite holiday music through its powerful stereo amplification system. • Add favorite aromas: Now that you have the sights and sounds of the season covered, don’t forget its delicious scents. Your nose will know the holidays have arrived when you bake that first batch of gingerbread cookies or light candles in scents like evergreen and peppermint. You can even try simmering a pot of water and add aromatic ingredients to it such as cloves, cinnamon sticks and rosemary.

• Send season’s greetings: Set aside an afternoon to compose and send holiday cards. This end-of-year tradition allows you to reconnect with the people you care about most and can help lend the season a touch of normalcy.

While you may not be making your usual visit to relatives or throwing your annual bash, there are many creative ways to make the most of the season and

create happy memories for years to come. (c) Sinenkiy / iStock via Getty Images Plus