March 2021

March News & Updates in Hesston

Spring is right around the corner and March is lining up to be a busy month! There are lots of opportunities to support local...eating, shopping, attending ball games or performances and more...you can plug in safely, in-person or virtually. We hope you'll find ways to connect with the community and support local this month! -Hesston Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau

Calendar at a Glance

Tuesday, March 2nd 7:00 a.m. Hesston Chamber Direct Connect RSVP requested; more information below.

Thursday, March 4th 5:00-7:00 p.m. Fried Chicken Night at Water's Edge More information below

Saturday, March 6th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Cookie Drive Thru Pick-up Booth Casey's Truck Plaza More information below

Saturday, March 6th 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Villa Partners Garage Sale More information below

Monday, March 8th 6:00 p.m. Hesston City Council Meeting Agenda and Zoom link will be available HERE.

Monday, March 8th 7:00 p.m. Hesston School Board Meeting Agenda will be available HERE.

Thursday, March 11th 3:30-6:00 p.m. Empower Physical Therapy Open House More information below

Thursday, March 11th 5:00-7:00 p.m. Waffle Night at Water's Edge

Thursday, March 11th 7:00 p.m. Sip and Shop Facebook Live Event for The Nest @ 112 More information below

Thursday, March 11th 7:00 p.m. The Rural Grocery Store: Innovative Community Builder More information below.

Saturday, March 13th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Cookie Drive Thru Pick-up Booth Casey's Truck Plaza More information below

Saturday, March 13th times vary 2nd Saturday Shopping More information below

Thursday, March 11th 7:00 p.m. The Rural Grocery Store: Innovative Community Builder More information below.

Saturday, March 13th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Cookie Drive Thru Pick-up Booth Casey's Truck Plaza More information below

Saturday, March 13th times vary 2nd Saturday Shopping More information below

Saturday, March 13th 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Empower Physical Therapy Open House  More information below

Thursday, March 18 11:30 a.m. Hesston Chamber March Meeting - Non-Profit and Social Services Panel More information below

Thursday, March 18 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Burger Night at Water's Edge

Saturday, March 20th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Cookie Drive Thru Pick-up Booth Casey's Truck Plaza More information below

Sunday, March 21 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Hesston City-Wide Prayer More information below

Thursday, March 25 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Italian Night at Water's Edge

Saturday, March 27th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Cookie Drive Thru Pick-up Booth Casey's Truck Plaza More information below

Have community events to highlight?? Send them our way! We'll promote them in our weekly e-newsletters and on social media...it's one of the benefits of being a Chamber member!

**We have openings in 2021 for businesses to host or co-host a meeting!! Please contact the Chamber if you are interested. Whether meetings are in-person or virtual will be determined by the Chamber's event policy.**

Welcome New Members!

In January and February, the Chamber welcomed the following new members. Follow the links to learn more about these local organization! Best Pest Control Krueger Insurance Management Lyndsey's Cakes & Bakes Nisly Brothers Trash Service OTR Wheel Engineering Scott and Jen Person Pam Weaver Photography Soaring Eagle Designs Son Wray Ranch Wetlands Irrigation & Turf Whitetail Properties Real Estate - Taylor Myers

The Rural Grocery Store: Innovative Community Builder (REGISTER to attend in person) Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 7 PM CST If you would like to attend in person, please register by clicking HERE or by contacting the library. The event will also be livestreamed. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas @HumanitiesKansas. Independently owned grocery stores are vital to the health of our rural communities. Yet, keeping a store open is a challenge. This presentation discusses the challenges of the grocery store business, explores success stories, and considers how rural grocery stores build and strengthen community. Presenter David Procter is a Professor of Communication Studies at Kansas State University and one of the founders of the Rural Grocery Store Initiative. Hesston’s grocery store task force has used the RGI as a resource these past few years. This program is part of the Crossroads: Change in Rural America initiative anchored by the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition of the same name. Crossroads promotes fresh thinking about the history, culture, and future of Kansas

COVID-19 Vaccine Information For the latest updates regarding availability of COVID-19 vaccines and to sign-up locally, please check the Hesston Pharmacy website and follow their Facebook page! The Harvey County Health Department is another great resource. Check out their website and information HERE.

Important Information for Business Owners! In order to reach the smallest businesses, the SBA will offer Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses with 20 or less employees and sole proprietors only from Wednesday, February 24 through Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Additional program changes have also been announced to make access to PPP loans more equitable. Click the link for the additional program changes. For more information and updates, visit SBA.gov

Severe Weather Awareness Week - March 1-5, 2021 For more resources and information, click HERE.

Don't Miss Out on 2nd Saturday Shopping in Hesston on Saturday, March 13th! Emma Creeks Antiques ** HasBeens Hesston True Value**Hesston Pharmacy Kropf Lumber**The Nest @ 112 Old Church Antiques**Stone Creek Nursery TEEKS Antiques & Collectibles

Hesston Area Seniors Updates For the latest Hesston Area Seniors newsletter, CLICK HERE!

Hesston Recreation wants your input! Click HERE to complete a brief survey. Stay tuned...spring/summer catalog to be released soon!

Membership Listing Did you know we have a complete membership listing on our website? CLICK HERE to see the growing list of Hesston Chamber members!

Don't miss out on daily updates from around the area! Follow us at: Hesston Happenings - Hesston Convention and Visitors Bureau

2021 Chamber Leadership Board of Directors Brad Schweitzer, President Lincoln Perk Mark Diller, Vice President Everence Roxana Koch, Treasurer Golden Plains Credit Union Karen Hiebert Excel Industries AJ Kuhn AGCO J.L. Martin Hesston MB Church Liz Pfautz Citizens State Bank Ty Rhodes USD 460 Derek Yoder Bluestem Communities Executive Director Megan Smith msmith@hesstonks.org 620-327-4102

Interested in promoting your business? Want to support the local business community? Benefit from Chamber Checks? Did you know individuals and couples can join the Chamber at a discounted rate, too? Click HERE to become a part of the growing Hesston Chamber of Commerce today!