Showcasing Greater Vidalia Raises $100,000 for Chamber

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The Greater Vidalia Chamber held their annual Showcasing Greater Vidalia fundraiser on Thursday, May 9. Despite the severe weather that swept the area that afternoon, the event was still a success, raising almost $100,000 for the Chamber’s operation.

“Showcasing Greater Vidalia was a huge success,” Greater Vidalia Chamber Executive Vice President Debbie Evans commented. “Approximately 300 people attended and nearly $100,000 was raised to foster the Chamber’s mission of preparing, developing, and promoting our businesses and community for economic growth. This successful endeavor would not be possible without our community partners: an incredible, hard-working committee, the sponsoring businesses and those who donated auction items, and those who attended and supported these efforts.”

She continued, “Our community partners are vital to the success of the Chamber and the economic prosperity of the region. They understand that connecting their name to these efforts demonstrates they are an integral part of the economic engine led by the Chamber. Businesses see a return on their investment by participating in high profile visibility programs and initiatives.”

During the event, several businesses donate items, vacations, and more for auction. The money raised from this auction is used to help continue to fund various resources provided by the Chamber, such as the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, which is currently under construction in Downtown Vidalia and will provide new business owners with the tools and knowledge needed to be successful, and the Public Policy Council, which promotes civic engagement and education through various events to share this information. In addition, this fundraiser also benefits the Greater Vidalia Adult and Youth Leadership Programs, which help individuals within Toombs and Montgomery Counties to further develop their leadership skills and learn more about their communities.

Along with great success, this year’s event came with an out of this world theme, as the Showcasing Greater Vidalia Chairwomen centered the occasion around outer space. Evans spoke on this leadership and theme, as she shared, “It takes courageous leadership to take on the co-chair responsibility of Showcasing Greater Vidalia . A huge thank you to this year’s co-chairs, Laura Dowd and Natasha Goss; it was amazing.”

To learn more about Showcasing Greater Vidalia or the Greater Vidalia Chamber, contact the Chamber at (912) 5374466.