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Business & Tech

Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce Holds Annual Awards Banquet

The Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce held its 2011 Awards Banquet on Saturday.

The Lotus Ballroom at the Hampton Inn in Lower Nazareth Township was packed Saturday night as the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner and awards banquet.

It was food, fun and festivities for the 113 people in attendance -- chamber members, area business owners and other community affiliates.

The evening began with a cash bar and casino games, all played with “funny money,” given out in $1,000 denominations -- presumably to help guests feel like high-rollers. The fake bills were then turned in for raffle tickets for prizes like a flat-screen television, an Amazon Kindle and many others.

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The dinner and the ensuing awards ceremony were held to honor citizens who have made a mark on the chamber and the community. Frank DeRosa, chairman of the local chamber, emceed the event.

Two awards were given for historical preservation. Bath council president Robert Fields presented an award to Joseph Tavianini of Bath for his restoration of apartment buildings. Nazareth Mayor Fred Daugherty gave the second preservation award to Lon Werner, who accepted on behalf of the Nazareth Center for the Arts.

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An ebullient Tina Smith, president of the Nazareth Chamber, gave the Volunteer of the Year Award to Jennifer Scanlan for her extensive work with the chamber. Scanlan’s award was the only one not to be previously announced. An awestruck Scanlan accepted graciously, repeating, "This is very flattering, thank you." 

Finally, the Award of Excellence was given to Luke and Mandy Cook, owners of the Lower Nazareth Township Chick-Fil-A. The Cooks, in their brief time with the chamber, have created a reputation for philanthropy. Their most recent endeavor was aiding in the opening of the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, which serves individuals residing in the Nazareth and Bath areas.

“We can’t thank them enough for all they’ve done,” said DeRosa.

The Award of Excellence was presented by Smith and DeRosa, with certificates of appreciation from the Nazareth Borough Council, Gary Burke on behalf of state Sens. Pat Browne and Lisa Boscola, and State Reps. Joe Emrick and Marcia Hahn.

Following the awards, DeRosa, with the help of Dan Thierry, a chamber member and broker at Dominion Mortgage, gave a slideshow presentation of the chamber’s "Year In Review," highlighting events and happenings throughout 2010.

The evening closed with dancing and music from DJ Paris of Good Vibrations. And the first dance of the night? Naturally, the "Chicken Dance."

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