C-Falls Chamber presented business awards last week
Kim Sikorsky, owner of North Fork Pizza, accepts the restaurant's "first buck" award from Paul McKenzie. (Anna Arvidson photo)
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday presented 15 First Buck awards and 10 Community Spirit awards at the December luncheon meeting.
First buck awards are presented to businesses that have opened or moved location and made their “first buck” in the past year.
The First Buck awards increased in number over the ten presented last year.
“The Board was delighted to announce there were five more new businesses this year than in 2015, and that our business community is steadily growing,” said chamber executive director Stacey Schnebel in a press release.
“We’ve seen a lot of change and success in 2016. Regardless of the (Plum Creek) layoffs, we have a vibrant community,” said board of directors president Mark Johnson during the luncheon. The chamber has also spent 2016 growing, adding two part-time employees with consistent office hours and five new board members. The chamber offices are now open year-round.
“Our message was that Columbia Falls is open for business,” Johnson said during his report to the membership.
Ten Community Spirit awards were presented to member businesses and non-profit organizations who invested in their business, collaborated with others for community gain, and who enriched the resident and visitor experience for the area through grant contributions.
The board of directors gave special recognition to Professional Therapy Associates for their efforts in coordinating and fundraising at the Heritage Days three-on-three basketball tournament.
The non-profit Gateway to Glacier Trail organization was also given special recognition. Gateway to Glacier Trail this fall succeeded in building a bike and pedestrian trail from Coram to West Glacier, after seven years of fundraising to achieve that goal.
Other recipients of the community Spirit award were Super 1 Foods, The Back Room, Historic Tamarack Lodge, Mick Ruis, Glacier Bank, Glacier Clean Car Wash, Lyle Mitchell, Swan Mountain Outfitters, O’Brien Byrd and Iron Fitness.
Recipients for the First Buck Award were: North Fork Pizza, Backslope Brewing, Cedar Creek Lodge, Wild Jo’s, Napa, Flathead Family Foot Care, Yoga Hive, Uptown Hearth, Dirt Rich, MudMan Burgers, Nature Day Care, Giggles, Dominos Pizza, Garden of Eden Thrift and Salon V.