3 minute read
CHAMBER NOTES
by Chris Conway
To many, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce is a business organization. While that is largely accurate, our mission statement stretches beyond this concept:
“The goal of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce is to encourage the development of business and enhance the quality of life in the West Hartford community.”
At our core, we are a community group. Yes, our membership is made up of businesses from a vast array of industries as well as nonprofit causes. Some are small one-person organizations, while others are medium-to-large local, national, and international corporations. It is all these combined that make us a strong community partner. When it comes to businesses, we provide them with the programs, resources, and opportunities to help them succeed individually. But it is our collective collaboration that makes us a champion for our local community. One way this idea manifests itself is through the work we do to organize and execute large community events.
The Holiday Stroll is one such example. For more than three decades, we have been one of the driving forces behind this festive celebration that has spanned generations of citizens and families. The Stroll is organized as a collaborative event among the Chamber, Town of West Hartford, West Hartford Center Business Association, and more recently, Blue Back Square. For years, the Thursday after Thanksgiving, West Hartford Center has been transformed into a world full of the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. A Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah are lit to kick off the festivities. Roaming carolers, family-friendly activities, and tasty food samples line the streets of the center. Two incarnations of Santa and Mrs. Claus meet and greet children at the Toy Chest on Farmington Avenue and Blue Back Square. Two performance spaces feature local musical acts, theatre, and dance. Continued efforts to be inclusive and reflective of our community have introduced audiences to The Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus, L’Shir A Capella, and Urban Hope.
The most rewarding result of putting on such a monumental celebration is seeing the thousands of people sharing in the holiday cheer. This past December’s Stroll saw more attendees than any year in recent memory. We look forward to 2022 being even bigger!
In 2019, the Chamber reimagined and relaunched a community health and wellness fair. In the past, this event had taken place at Elizabeth Park with good attendance but had not been held for a few years. Working with Blue Back Square, it was rebranded as WeHa Wellness and moved to the heart of West Hartford. More than 40 exhibitors in the fitness, medical, mental health, and holistic sphere came together to greet the public with information, educational resources, and demonstrations all with a goal toward a healthier community.
The West Hartford Chamber also supports a variety of other community events orchestrated by other organizations, most recently West Hartford Pride and Juneteenth. Both of these events were huge successes and brought together people from across the region for large celebrations.
We are excited by the return of Celebrate! West Hartford as an in-person event this coming June. The Chamber partners with the town to assist with the marketing and outreach to vendors and exhibitors for this weekend-long event. Groups of Chamber volunteers have even helped with directing artisans to parking and unloading accommodations.
Whenever feasible, the Chamber has a presence at other community-based celebrations. Members of the Chamber staff and board of directors marched as “Hometown Heroes” in the Park Road Parade. The Chamber also serves as a marketing partner for Best of West Hartford and the revitalized Taste of West Hartford –Elmwood.
These are only some of the official ways the Chamber supports large community initiatives. Chamber members are woven into the DNA at most other events in town. Members run in Johnny’s Jog, they peddle in Bike West Hartford, they wear pink for the American Cancer Society, they walk against hunger for Connecticut Foodshare, they cook for Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools…the list could go on for pages.
Yes, on the surface we are a business organization but - in essence - we are an organization that works daily in many ways to build a better West Hartford. n
Celebrate! West Hartford (CWH), the two-day community fair presented by the town of West Hartford, partnering with the Chamber of Commerce, will be held this year on June 11 and 12.
Christopher Conway Executive Director West Hartford Chamber of Commerce 860.521.2300 - office 860.810.5663 - cell cconway@whchamber.com www.whchamber.com
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