The Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce will highlight exceptional service to the community by recognizing volunteers, organizations and businesses during the annual Samaritan Awards at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Philomath Scout Lodge.
The public is invited to join the celebration, which is a free event.
“It’s about the community for the community,” said Lindsey Free, who last month took over as the chamber’s board president. “It’s a good way for us to get together and celebrate each other and these people that are out there working in a community that they care about.”
To determine recipients of the Samaritan Awards, the chamber solicited nominations from various organizations and entities.
“For us to recognize them in front of their friends and their families and their neighbors, I think that’s valuable,” Free said. “Maybe it motivates others to want to be a part of the community that we all love.”
The chamber’s board opted to move the event from the high school to the Scout Lodge.
“That’s just part of changing the direction of the award itself,” Free said. “We loved having it at the high school and I think that has worked spacewise but I think the Scout Lodge is also a part of our community and by utilizing that facility that they have sitting there, we can give them a little bit more recognition, too, by having people come in there and be a part of it.”
More changes could be coming down the road following this year’s event. Free mentioned the possibility of offering a full dinner, for example, as part of the awards evening in the future. For now, the format will remain familiar to those who have attended in the past.
The event will include snack-size desserts and beverages. The chamber’s Billy Scott and Janelle Marcotte will return this year as emcees.
The evening’s awards include First Citizen honors along with business, nonprofit and people’s choice awards. The First Citizen awards are made up of four separate categories based on age — Future First Citizen Awards (ages 18 and under), Junior First Citizen (ages 19-39), First Citizen (ages 40-64) and Senior First Citizen (65 and older).
Folks do not need to RSVP but Free said that if there are those interested in sponsoring and reserving a table, that could still be arranged by contacting Chelle Krantz, executive director, at 541-929-2454 or director@philomathchamber.org.
