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ChamberWorks
» Holiday Cheer and Schmoozing, All for a Good Cause
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Holiday Cheer and Schmoozing, All for a Good Cause
Upwards of 80 people descended on the Commerce Bank office on Black Rock Turnpike for the Chamber's annual Holiday Membership Reception Dec. 13.
Kathi Eigenrauch and her crew put on a show with valet parking, live music and a big spread of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. Add in a lively crowd and you've got the right atmosphere for networking and casual conversation. And most importantly, our members and guests were very generous this year with money and donated items for Operation Hope, because charity is an essential part of our December event. The Chamber donated a portion of the night's proceeds as well.
And with the final event of 2005 behind us, we look ahead to the January Business After Hours at Fischel Properties. Enjoy the holidays, and we'll see you again in the new year.
Santa Rides into Town in Style
Update: Greg Beno of Adecco Employment has put together
a musical slide show of Santa's visit to Fairfield. Don't miss it!
Santa Claus arrived in Fairfield Nov. 26 in the usual fashion, perched on a fire truck with sirens blaring. (Flying reindeer-powered sleighs are cool, but you still can't beat a fire engine for stopping traffic.) In a new twist, Rudolf and Frosty came along for the ride, standing up there with the jolly old elf and members of the Fairfield Fire Department as they arrived at Sherman Green. How the duo snagged those prime spots is unknown, but rumors of gingerbread-cookie bribes persist.
It was colder than last year (mild understatement), but the line of children waiting to see Santa was as long as ever. Hot chocolate from Boy Scout Troop #199 helped keep people warm, and the Kiwanis Club did a brisk business in hot dogs and hamburgers. These were just two of the many community organizations who had goods to sell or fun activities to keep the youngsters entertained. There were holiday decorations and cards, kettlecorn and cookies, games and face painting, toys for pets and more, with proceeds going to charity.
Gingerbread General Contractors once again sold out their entire inventory of gingerbread house kits, raising money for the Bridgeport Pediatrics Unit along with a matching grant from an unnamed benefactor. Joining them on the green were the Audubon Birdcraft Museum, CATS animal rescue organization, CLASP Homes, Fairfield Arts Council, Fairfield Prep, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield Theatre Company, Girl Scout Troops #2403, #3261 and #3298, Jr. Women's Club, Lions Club, Mill River Wetlands Committee, Mom's Club, Operation Hope, SEPTA, United Cerebral Palsy Association, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club and Young at Art. Santa couldn't ask for a better welcome from the community.
There were horse & wagon rides around the block, sponsored by Super Duper Weenie, Boccarossa Insurance, Drs. Mokotoff, Epstein and Habansky Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, and Bigelow Tea. And the D'Valda and Sirico Dance and Music Centre rounded up well over a dozen carolers and musicians to fill everyone's ears with holiday cheer.
But of course Santa was the center of attention. With the help of his elves he handed out small plush toys to the kids and dutifully received their holiday wish lists.
And when the last of the kids had passed through the gazebo, Santa thanked everyone for the outstanding welcome. He also asked his elves to make a note for next year: "Warmer underwear."
Chamber Volunteers Roll Out the Carpet for Santa
Without the help of our members, the Chamber couldn't possibly have given Santa that great big welcome. Thanks go out to Kathi Eigenrauch (Commerce Bank), Kevin Lally (Brooks Community Newspapers), Kevin Micinilio (Shoff Darby Companies, Inc), Patrick Hoyt (St. Joseph's High School), Sean and Emma Kilbride (A.G. Edwards & Sons), Greg Beno and Jana Rahrig (Adecco Employment), John Sarra (CM IT Solutions/Computer Moms), Bob Sussman (Fairfield Center Jewelers), Jason Hyde (David Lerner Associates, Inc.), Diane Melish (Diane Melish Landscape Design & Gardening), Kyle Inglis (Merrill Lynch), Dana Ambrosini (Fairfield University) and Jim Borona (Cash Flow Options).
From balloon duty at the Chamber tent to planning and publicity, our members donated their time to make the event a success. And we must not forget Marilyn Weigman's gang from People's Bank who ran the horse & wagon operation: Nancy Delucia, Lupe Buendia, Jeremy Corcoran, Gina DeSilva, Scott Pfalzgraf, Sabrina Angiolillio and Donna Chang.
Thanks also to the aforementioned D'Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre troupe who provided the musical entertainment under the direction of Derrick Monahan. And of course the Fairfield Police and Fire departments lent us their invaluable assistance as they kept traffic moving and gave Santa his grand entrance.
We thank you one and all.
Security Seminar May Get a Repeat in 2006
Despite a low turnout for this free event at the Fairfield Public Library, the Nov. 16 seminar on Security, Identity Theft & Fraud was so informative that we hope to restage it early next year.
The presentations by Lt. Gary McNamara & Det. Bruce Peterson of the Fairfield Police Department were wide ranging, covering not only the hot topics of the day like internet scams and identity theft, but also the dangers that businesses face from counterfeiting, shoplifting, fake IDs and even the mundane task of counting change at the cash register.
This was the fifth in an ongoing series of educational seminars and workshops presented by the Chamber.
Double-Chamber Expo a Hit in its Second Year
The second annual Double-Chamber Expo and Networking event, a joint production of the Fairfield and Westport chambers, drew a capacity crowd Nov. 14 at the Westport Inn. Both chambers sold out their share of table space, and between the success of last year's event and a solid publicity campaign for this one, we had an ever better turnout of area business people who came to network with the exhibitors and with each other. An ample supply of food and beverages contributed to the productive atmosphere.
Thanks to Jennifer Trcka of the Westport Inn for working closely with us to make it a success, and to Kevin Lally of Brooks Community Newspapers and Greg Beno of Adecco Employment for their help "filling in" on the most-needed jobs.
We anticipate that next year's will be even more successful.