A heart full of thanks.
As we prepare to spend time with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving and begin the busy holiday season, I want to pause and say, 'thank you'.
Our community is on the rebound. Revitalization is happening. We're seeing it throughout our entire county. From a new grocery store in Frankfort to a new candy store in downtown Chillicothe. And the renewed feeling of growth is happening because of investors in our community, investors in our Chamber.
The board of directors and staff of the Chamber are so thankful, and grateful, for your investment. It allows businesses to grow and strengthen in our community. From the smallest to the largest, investing in one another benefits the entire community.
I'm also thankful to the nearly 60 businesses and organizations that participated in the 2017 Chamber Business Expo last week at Triple Crown Family Fun Center. We had nearly 350 people in attendance and had a wonderful evening sharing and learning about our community through business.
This is a special time of year. We're preparing to enter the busy holiday shopping season, which will bring thousands of people from all over central and southern Ohio into our local stores and restaurants. Let's make them feel welcome. Our community is a beautiful place and we're taking pride in showing it off.
So, after we fill ourselves with that special recipe from grandma's house on Thanksgiving Day, remember to enjoy and be safe as we prepare for Black Friday shopping. Then on Saturday, it's time to visit all of those "small" shops all around our city and in our villages that keep America moving during shopping on Small Business Saturday.
And, of course, join us downtown as we help usher in the traditional holiday shopping season with Hometown Holidays and the arrival of Santa Claus, on Saturday at 6 PM at the entrance to Yoctangee Park at Water and Paint streets. The city tree will be lighted, shelters in the park will glow with their grand illumination and we'll welcome Santa with a small fireworks display provided by many donations through the city's Light the Park campaign.
There are so many things to be thankful for this year, and don't forget to make new memories and enjoy this special time of year.
Happy Thanksgiving!
