Happy Holidays from the Lafayette Chamber
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Wednesday, December 18, 2019
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
Office closed Friday, Dec. 20 noon until Thursday, Jan. 2 9am
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Twas’ the week before Christmas and all through the office,
we take a moment to review what the year has brought us ...
It is hard to believe 2019 is coming to an end. The Chamber hosted our annual
Holiday Mixer last Wednesday at
Merrill Gardens at Lafayette. We were most appreciative of our sponsors, community partners, members and guests who joined us to celebrate a wonderful year. And an amazing year it was!
We have a lot to be thankful for, let’s take a moment and reflect back …
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April showers brought business focus on downtown vibrancy with the City and a Job Fair at
Moraga Country Club. Ribbon Cutting for
Lemon. Mixer at
Philz Coffee who also sponsored our Coffee with new Mayor Mike Anderson.
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Our annual
Taste of Lafayette was a huge success and we were able to give back $1100 to the
Lafayette Community Foundation. Thanks to our partnering restaurants and businesses: REVE Bistro, Sideboard, Fabula Tea, Locanda Positano, Metro, Pause Now, The Hideout Kitchen, Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, Vitality Bowls, Mangia, Urban Remedy, Solano Jewelers, Coffee Shop, Amphora, The Cooperage, Amarin Thai, Patxi’s Pizza, IzzyA’s, Zoonie's, Philz Coffee, Batch & Brine, Pizza Antica, Susie Cakes, Barranco, BevMo!, Lavash, Uncle Yu’s and Itty Bitty Deserts from Diablo Foods. Performances at the
JPG@TheBank by Performing Academy, Bistro Mustache, Pop-Up Bach and the Acalanes Jazz Quartet.
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June kicked off with the
Dogtown Downtown welcoming all 4-legged creatures to enjoy our dog friendly, walkable downtown. We invited pet adoption centers to join us.
Rock the Plaza entertained guests of all ages every Friday night. And
Lamorinda Idol showcased our local young talented finalists.
Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa hosted an outdoor mixer to kick off the summer months.
July and August are traditionally our slower event months. As the community embraces swim team and vacations, we work behind the scene planning for our upcoming fall events. We joined the Martinez Chamber for a Mega Mixer. Enjoyed ribbon cuttings at
Lashify Studio and
Snippity Chix for Hair.
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September is
Art and Wine Festival month … we work all year for this special weekend. This fundraising event drives our annual budget and allows us to give back to our local non-profit organizations.
This year we were able to give back $35,600 to our beneficiaries. Financially this was one of our best years due to our sponsors, vendors, entertainment and of course,
YOU, the public, who continue to support us. Thanks to the
City of Lafayette and the Lafayette Police Department we felt safe and secure while hosting our big block party.
Formula3 Fitness had a ribbon cutting and
Blodgett’s Floor Covering celebrated 73 years in business while hosting the monthly mixer.
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October was all about the kids. The schools and the community joined together to help us set a new record with 2280 participants in our
Lafayette Res Run for Education with registered runners between the ages of 1 and 92.
This was such a successful event that we were able to give back $28,291.36 to our local schools. Yeah! Many thanks to our presenting and marquis sponsors. Add in a fun mixer at
LPIE (Lafayette Partners in Education) and a jam packed downtown
Trick or Treat Street packed with kids visiting our local merchants.
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Then we launched into
5 days of honoring special groups of individuals for their efforts in our community:
Day 1 – Sponsors and our Community Partners. Their efforts make our events a huge success.
Day 2 – Downtown merchant members who sell Lafayette Merch! We LOVE LAFAYETTE!
Day 3 – First Responders. Living in the “New Normal” world, we can’t escape the probability that we will be touched by a First Responder.
Day 4 – Educators! We are fortunate to live and work in a community that makes education a top priority.
Day 5 – Volunteers! Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly to help us put on events throughout the year. Especially National Charity League and Boys’ Team Charity.
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That brings us to
December where we just celebrated our annual
It’s A Wonderful Life Holiday Celebration in Lafayette Plaza Park. Santa came to town on the Lafayette Express! Thanks to our sponsors, community partners, scouts and volunteers. We tried hard to fill your calendar with a ribbon cutting at
Microshair Aesthetics and numerous member holiday celebrations.
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Our 2019 Beneficiaries
In 2019 we donated $46,291.36 to our schools through the Art & Wine Festival ($18,000) and Lafayette Res Run for Education ($28,291.36). We also donated $19,300 to the following organizations for a 2019 donation total of $65,591.36!
Artemis Rowing
City of Lafayette Parks & Rec Department
Contra Costa Food Bank
Contra Costa Animal Services The Running Dog
Futures Explored
Generations in Jazz
Lafayette Community Foundation
Lafayette Police 501c
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary
Las Trampas
Loaves and Fishes
Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation
Scout Troop 212
Sheriff’s Volunteers
Town Hall Theatre
Zeta Psi Fraternity
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Circling back to the top, if there is one key to our successful 2019, it is YOU, our sponsors, community partners, volunteers and members who continue to support us.
We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to what 2020 will bring!
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