Let the Community Award Nomination Announcements Begin…Part One!
By: Jessica Meyer
Director of Operations
The anticipation has been building, and the eagerness to unveil this year’s extraordinary lineup of Community Award nominees has been almost unbearable!
With another round of impressive nominations this year, it is truly evident that the spirit of our incredible community shines through. These Community Awards are proudly presented by the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce. Each year, during our Annual Banquet and Auction held in January, we honor outstanding individuals and businesses with Community Awards across five categories: Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Development Project of the Year, and Program of the Year.
The community plays an integral role in nominating deserving candidates by answering a series of questions and providing information that is vital to the nomination process. This year, nominations were accepted until December 1st, and all nominees will be celebrated at our annual Banquet and a winner from each category will be awarded. This is set to take place at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds on Saturday, January 13th, 2024. The winners for each category are determined by a committee comprising of past winners and community members (not Chamber staff or board members — a friendly annual reminder!).
Now that the nominations have closed and announcement cards have been mailed to each nominee, we can finally announce the nominees in each category!
For Small Business of the Year, the nominees are…
Living Water Fellowship: Living Water Fellowship benefits more than just their church family by organizing programs that positively impact the entire community including Many Hands Medical Supplies; Embrace Grace; First Love Marriage Conference; and House of Grace to name a few. They have mobilized their congregation to serve the community and lead by example.
Oregon Coast Dance Center: Oregon Coast Dance instructor Miss Lisa Greiner has a daily impact on so many children in Tillamook County, teaching a variety of dance classes and life lessons. Her studio serves both children and adults, and she is busy remodeling the upstairs portion of her downtown building into apartments to do her part to help the housing crisis.
Do It Better: Do It Better Physical Therapy provides top notch patient care to all ages in Tillamook County, and they recently purchased a building in Bay City to expand their physical therapy offerings. Do It Better Physical Therapy goes beyond just treating patients, also providing quality knowledge of physical health to improve their patient’s quality of life so they can do it better.
Burden’s Muffler & Towing: Whether you need a tow, help getting your keys unlocked from your car, a crane to fly a flag, or help moving a house, Burdens Muffler and Towing is there to answer the call, providing support and quality customer service to the entire community 24/7.
Kiawanda Community Center: In the last year the Kiawanda Community Center has become the “place to be” in Pacific City with a variety of events for all ages that are fun, exciting, informative, entertaining – and easily accessible. Run by a volunteer Board of Directors, The Kiawanda Community Center is increasing exposure and tourism traffic to Pacific City, and is poised to host even larger, more extravagant events in the future.
Clark’s Plumbing: From new construction to emergencies, Clark’s Plumbing always answers the call with friendly, hard-working staff and professional expertise. When they aren’t helping with a plumbing issue, they are supporting the community by donating to school clubs, athletic teams and community events as well as hiring youth from the community.
East on West: East on West provides mouth-watering food and a commitment to community by participating in Moonlight Madness in downtown Tillamook and helping make that event a magical experience for everyone. Tillamook County will soon be known for the best burger around thanks to their talented cooks and friendly staff.
Country Squire Kitchen: Country Squire Kitchen in Garibaldi not only provides artisan cuisine at affordable prices, but they are also committed to using sustainable ingredients – even working with local farms and started their own farm to provide healthy, seasonal ingredients to their customers. Their food cart offers vegan and vegetarian options, consistent hours, and top-notch dishes that are sure to bring in more tourism traffic to Garibaldi.
Thank to everyone who made a nomination, and congratulations to our nominees! We’ll be back again soon with the rest of our nominees in the Business of the Year, Program of the Year, Development Project of the Year and Citizen of the Year categories, so keep your eye out for more announcements in the coming weeks!