Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
Yesterday, ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, announced that RoofClaim.com will be this year’s Title Sponsor of the Boca Raton Bowl! The event, now renamed to the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, will be played on Tuesday, December 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. – just 18 days away! The game will be played at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University and will be televised by ESPN. RoofClaim.com prides itself on being a part of the communities it serves, and we appreciate the commitment to our longstanding college football bowl game right here in Boca Raton – now in its seventh year! Please visit RoofClaim.comBocaRatonBowl for more information.
On Wednesday evening, the Chamber held its 39th annual holiday auction - virtually. Even though it was held on-line this year, that did not stop our members and community supporters from taking full advantage of bidding on the amazing auction items that were available. A special Thank You to everyone who donated auction items and made this event the success it was. Some of our local resorts, hotels and golf clubs fetched the highest bids. We look forward to holding this event in person next year!
The Florida Public Service Commission has approved Florida Power & Light’s new program to offer credits to qualifying small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The FPL Main Street Recovery Credit Program is the latest of several programs in support of adversely impacted customers during this global crisis. Businesses that are eligible to apply for the program include: new small businesses, small businesses that were inactive for at least six months in 2020 and existing small businesses operating in federal Opportunity Zones in FPL’s service area. Qualifying small businesses will receive a monthly 10% credit on the energy charge portion of their electric bill for the duration of the program. FPL will launch its Main Street Recovery Credit Program in January and offer bill credits through the end of 2021. Interested businesses can apply for the program on FPL’s website, www.FPL.com, beginning next month. Thank you to FPL for continuing to find opportunities to help our small business community!
There is light at the end of the COVID tunnel! The United Kingdom has become the first Western nation to be granted emergency-use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine. Developed by Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech, this vaccine will be distributed in limited numbers within days. The two-shot vaccine is also being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and a similar authorization could come later this month with a rollout before the end of the year.
The Boynton Beach Police Department's 9th Annual Toy Drive is underway. All of the items collected are distributed to children in the community through the Boynton Beach Police Department or the Children’s Healing Institute, who partners on a long-term basis with at-risk families referred by schools, hospitals, police and other community agencies. Those wishing to donate may do so online (registries have been set up at both Amazon and Target) or by dropping off a new, unwrapped gift in person at select drop-off sites through December 14th. Click here for a list of drop off locations.
Looking for an easier way to find an event, register for an event, and receive popup notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences, with most being recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual experiences:
12/09 - 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsor: iThink Financial
Topic: Marketing Trends in 2020 (Covid Challenges)
Speaker: Saul Copper, Sr. Account Manager, DigDev Direct
Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33486
12/11 - 8:30 a.m. Virtual Women’s Business Council
Topic: Holiday Networking
12/17 - 8:00 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Coffee Plus
The early bird gets the worm! Enjoy this FREE monthly networking opportunity. Grab a cup of coffee, meet new people, and give your best 30 second elevator pitch – all before the workday begins!
Next Thursday, December 10th, is our first in-person monthly Membership Breakfast since March. I am excited to be able to see some of you in person and return to a little bit of normalcy before the holiday season kicks into high gear. Registration is required prior to the event. Temperature checks will be conducted at check-in and face masks are required when not seated. Attendance is limited to allow for ample physical distancing and only four people will be seated at each table. Please understand that walk-ins will not be accepted so that we can maintain our safety protocols. In addition to some long overdue in-person networking and a delicious breakfast from the Boca Raton Marriott, our friends and partners at the School of Rock will perform holiday songs. We understand not everyone is ready to venture out quite yet and we look forward to when that time comes. For those members who are comfortable, we look forward to seeing you next week!
Please continue to be Responsible, Safe and Respectful — and thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and all of South Palm Beach County the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play!
Moving Business Forward,
