We have been writing and talking about the Bulldogs’ big fundraising dinner auction coming up on Thursday February 28th at the Barclay. Among the celebrities that will be in the room will be hall of famer, Marcel Dionne. One of the best forwards ever to play the game, Dionne, (the former L.A. King) will be speaking, taking photo ops and signing autographs. Of course, no hockey dinner would be complete without Howie Meeker. And, the only athlete that competed in the CFL (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) and the NHL (Toronto Maple Leafs), Gerry James, will be in attendance. Rumour has it the Royal Bank will be bringing some Olympic athletes to the event as well. Tickets are going fast, as folks snap up a table at a time, but some singles and doubles are available at the Bulldog’s office, the Barclay and our Visitor Centre.
A very popular business-focused event last year was the BNI’s Business Expo. Well, it’s happening again on Tuesday, March the 12th at the Barclay Hotel. $50.00 will get you the booth space and it’s open to all Alberni Valley businesses, on a first come first served basis. Reserve your space by stopping by Valley Vision Optometry on Roger St. From 5 – 9pm the public is welcome to stop by and learn more about goods and services available in the Alberni Valley.
The deadline for nominating people or businesses for our annual Community Excellence Awards Dinner is March 15th. You can find the nomination forms on our website, avcoc.com. Our selection committee will consider all of the nominations in all the categories and choose three finalists to attend the dinner compliments of the chamber. The winners will be announced at the event, which will be taking place on April 18th at the Barclay. Plan to attend and support excellence in our community with us.
Our next networking event will be a dinner. On Wednesday, March 20th, Pat Bell, MInister of Jobs,Skills Training and Labour  is scheduled to speak to our business community. You can reserve your place at the table by calling our office at 724 6535. When the venue is decided upon we will advise all attendees.
Thought for the Week:
“If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.” Dan Quayle
FROM THE MANAGER’S DESK
SUBMITTED BY MIKE CARTER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ALBERNI VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE