Parade Grand Marshals: Mickey Mouse / Minnie Mouse / Donald Duck / Tiana & the Frog / Elsa / Olaf
Theme: A Disney Christmas
Our 94th Year Believe in Bessemer November 2016
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce
CONTENTS:
Parade / New Board Members….........1
Community News…….……………….……………2,3
Business News ………………………………………...4, 5
Community News…….………………….………6-9
Charles A Long Nomination………10, 11
Christmas Open House………………………..12
Christmas Parade…………………………………….13
Calendar………………………………………………………...14
Sponsor Info/Promotional Items…...15
The Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Board of Directors
We are proud to welcome Judy Mathis – Moore Coal Company, Bryonda Williams - Chambers Funeral Home, Keith Stewart - Superintendent
of Bessemer City Schools, Charles King - Regional Paramedical Services and Randy Tate - Comfort Health Care and Hospice. These
individuals will join the board in January 2017 and will serve a three year term. We looking forward to an exciting year.
It’s Christmas Season...City of Bessemer Christmas Parade Time!
The time has arrived. The City of Bessemer’s Annual Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 10th at 2 pm, downtown Bessemer.
Bessemer’s Parade is one the largest Christmas parades in the State of Alabama. This parade is a must see parade. There will be over 125
entries and 18th and 19th Streets will be filled with parade watchers, this definitely puts everyone in the Christmas spirit.
The theme is “A Disney Christmas”. We are excepting a record turnout. Participants are already flooding the chamber office with their entry
forms. If you are interested in participating, the cost is $25 per entry and $200 for sponsorship. Please review the enclosed flyer for additional
information.
See you on December 10th!
BENEFITS OF PARADE SPONSORSHIP
¤ Company logo will be included in all promotional material for the Christmas parade ¤ Pre and post event advertising in The Western Star ¤ Advertised on Chamber website
¤ 3 VIP passes to pre-parade lunch with grand marshals
¤ Exposure in the Chamber’s monthly newsletter
¤ Exposure to community and business leaders
¤ Two free 2016 parade entries
bessemerchamber.com NOVEMBER 2016
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COMMUNITY NEWS
The Staff and Residents at Oak Trace Honor Cancer Awareness Month With a Walk and Roll
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City of Bessemer Pink and Purple Parade
Bessemer’s Business and Professional Women, The City of Bessemer and the
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce held the Annual Pink and Purple parade in
honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness. The parade
was held on Thursday, October 11th in downtown Bessemer.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) an estimated 192,370 new cases
of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United
States this year. Ten percent of all breast cancer occurs in women under the age of
45. 2,400 women in the United States under the age of 45 are expected to be
diagnosed with breast cancer, and approximately over 3,000 of those women will
die. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung
cancer).
Domestic violence awareness month is a crucial timeframe to educate the masses
Pink ‘Heals’ Firetruck From Orange Beach Visits Bessemer to Honor Survivors
on the dangers involved
with domestic violence.
One of the primary
objectives in Domestic
Violence Awareness
Month is to encourage
those victims or loved
ones of victims to
contact authorities or
hotlines to make their
cases known.
COMMUNITY NEWS
BUSINESS NEWS
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Congratulations to City Council President Jesse Matthews and Council Pro-Tem Cynthia Donald
Jesse Matthews is the new Council President and council
member Cynthia Donald is the new President Pro-Tem for the
next year. Congratulations councilors, we look forward to
your leadership.
Shug's Restaurant Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting - Thursday,
November 10th. Shugs is located at 5031 Ford Parkway in Bessemer next to
Town and Country Ford.
Grandma’s Palace Learning Center Ribbon Cutting &
Grand Opening - Saturday, October 22nd. Grandma’s
Palace is located at 608 – 610 Ninth Avenue N., Bessemer.
BUSINESS NEWS
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Benton Nissan’s Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening -
Monday, October 24 @ Noon. They are located at Exit 108 on
I-20/59 at 5487 Academy Way, Bessemer.
The Partnership of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA) and the Business Council of Alabama
(BCA) recognizes the very best in Alabama small business. We are honored to announce that two Bessemer businesses
were selected as finalist for this prestigious award. The two companies are Holt Insurance and Oak Trace Care &
Rehabilitation Center, both are very supportive of the Bessemer Chamber and the Bessemer Community.
Nominations are taken throughout the entire state of Alabama and are selected as finalist based on their community
involvement, chamber participation, business success and overall deservedness.
The 2016 recipients will be selected at the CCAA/BCA Partnership Annual Meeting/Luncheon on Friday, December 2nd
at the Harbert Center.
Holt Insurance and Oak Trace Named as Finalists For the Small Business Awards of Alabama
COMMUNITY
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We Salute Our Veterans
The Annual City of Bessemer Veterans Day program was held on Friday, November 4th in Bessemer City Hall Auditorium. A room filled with
Veterans and supporters enjoyed the program, organized by Mr. Gordon Seale, Commander, and American Legion Post 149. The Honorable
Mayor Kenneth Gulley greeted the guest and thanked all veterans and everyone that attended the program. The speaker of the hour was LCDR
Arlen B. Rose, Commanding Officer Navy Operational Center in Bessemer.
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COMMUNITY
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The City of Bessemer Veterans Resource Day was held Thursday, November 10th from 9 am - 2 pm at the Bessemer Civic Center.
The theme was ‘Connecting Veterans One Dot at a Time’. Various organizations were present to give information to area veterans.
Thank you to Doris Lewis on organizing an informative event.
Congratulations to Two Deserving “Women in Business” Recipients!
Mara Allen was selected as the 2016 Woman
of Achievement and Tamala Briggins was
chosen as the 2016 Woman of the Year by the
Bessemer Business and Professional Women’s
organization.
The City of Bessemer’s Veterans Resource Day 2016
NEW MEMBER – NOVEMBER 2016
Val’s P Cleaning Service LLC
Valorie Williams
PO Box 169, Bessemer, AL 35021
PH 844-255-0355 or 205-563-4220
www.valspcleaningservice.com
Business Category: Cleaning Service
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COMMUNITY
Birmingham’s 2016 Annual Veterans Day Parade
City of Bessemer’s Tree Lighting Ceremony
The city's new Christmas Tree has arrived! The Tree Lighting is set for
Sunday, November 27 at 6 pm at DeBardeleben Park.
COMMUNITY NEWS
NOVEMBER 2016
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A Cleaner Bessemer
Bessemer District 2 Clean Up Day was held on
Saturday, November 12, 2016. Hats off to Councilor
Chester Porter on your continued efforts and projects to
make Bessemer a cleaner city.
Bessemer District #3, Councilor Cynthia Donald-
Stephenson held a community cleanup on Veterans Day.
Donald stated that a day out of school is Community
Services time in district 3
Place Your Ad
in the Chamber
Communique
FULL PAGE AD
$75 per
occurrence
SMALL AD
$50 per month or
6 months for
$240
CHAMBER CALENDAR
2016 CHAMBER
AMBASSADORS
Coordinator
Lori Chisem, Lawson State Community College
Co-Coordinators
Daryl Owens, Bessemer City Schools
Andie Sloan, Comfort Care
Secretary
Lula Walter, City of Bessemer
Sadie Harris, Retired
Mara Allen, Latch and Live Foundation
Kay Baggett, Retired
Sarah Beasley, Joe Beasley Memorial
Foundation, Inc
Sarah Belcher, Retired
Tamala Briggins, Oak Trace Care & Rehab
Trisston Wright Burrows, Moore Coal Co.
Erin Cooney, Holt Insurance Agency
Susan Franklin, TBGS Holdings
Paije Frazier
Shirley Horn, Retired
Latesia Jefferson, Oak Trace Care & Rehab
Charles King, Regional Paramedical Services
Doris Lewis, City of Bessemer
Claire Mitchell, Visalus - Body by Vi
Dorian Waluyn, Lawson State Comm. College
Ambassadors are the key resource in
extending hospitality in the Bessemer
area and are experienced in business,
community, and promotional arenas.
An Ambassador must serve as an active
public relations arm of the Chamber and
be prepared to meet visitors, local
businesses, and various forms of the
media.
We encourage you join the ambassador
program. The ambassadors meet on the
1st Tuesday of each month at 8:30am at
the Bessemer Area Chamber of
Commerce.
December
Tuesday, December 6, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Thursday, December 8, 5 - 7pm Chamber Christmas Open House
Saturday, December 10, 2:00pm City of Bessemer Christmas Parade
Tuesday, December 20, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, December 20, Noon Board of Directors Mtg.
Tuesday, November 22 @ 10 am Pink Icing Boutique’s Re-Grand Opening
804 19th St. N, Bessemer (Door prizes & refreshments)
Saturday, December 10 @ 2 pm Bessemer Christmas Parade
Downtown Bessemer
The mission of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic
well-being of regional businesses and represent the business community in economic,
political, civic, educational and cultural development of the region.
We hope you will consider supporting the Bessemer Chamber of Commerce programs
in 2016. This investment is tax deductible, so sign up today!
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Community Calendar
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Sponsorship Investments
Diamond $10,000
Platinum $ 7,500
Gold $5,000
Silver $3,000
SBP $1,000
Call us at 425-3253 for more details
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2016 BOARD MEMBERS
Mitch Avery
Alabama Gas
Richard Bishop
Lynn Brown
Alabama Splash Adventure
Trisha Galvez
Legacy YMCA
Carlton Jackson
Bessemer Fire Department
Louis Jones
Mt. Hebron Baptist Church
Vicki Lane
AAA Bessemer
Candice Lee
TBGS Holdings / Masonry
Arts
Reggie Mays
United Prosthetics and
Orthotics
Cristy Richardson
America’s First Federal Credit
Union
John Sides
Alabama Power Company
Hank Tyler
Town & Country Ford
Devron Veasley
Bessemer Business Center
Trina Vines
Oak Trace Care and
Rehabilitation Center
Jerry Yarbrough
Bessemer Utilities
Past Chairman
Eric Messer
Shoals
Ambulance
Chairman
Joni Holt
Holt Insurance
Agency
Chairman
Elect
Nathan Clark
Medical West PROMOTIONAL ITEMS IN STOCK at the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce
The Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce
has promotional items for sale.
Bessemer T-shirt $25
Bessemer Golf Umbrella $25
Bessemer Camp Chair $20
Bessemer Beach Towel $20
Bessemer Tote Umbrella $20
Bessemer Stainless Steel Cup $15
Bessemer Hat $10
Bessemer Shot Glass $ 5
Stop by and pick up your items at 321 18th
Street N., Bessemer, AL 35020.
2016 Investors
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS
Alabama Splash Adventure
America’s First Federal Credit Union Chambers Funeral Home
Comfort Care Home Health & Hospice Engineering Environmental Forestry Service
Legacy YMCA
Paden & Paden, PC
Pinnacle Motorsports Regional Paramedical Services
State Farm Insurance Agent, Julie Bell
Trustmark National Bank
William Parsons CPA
Treasurer
Connie Fuell
Dex Imaging
Finance
Chairman
Kela Pryor
City of Bessemer