Dear Members:
Thanks to Presenting Sponsor Itasca Bank & Trust and Event Sponsors Edward-Elmhurst Health and Duly Health and Care, all ECCI members, for their support of the August 29 Multi-Chamber Hunger Action Luncheon at Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn.
Steve “The Food Guy” Dolinsky delivered the Keynote Address before a “soldout” crowd of some 275 businesspeople from Elmhurst and 12 fellow chambers of commerce, after an expert panel discussed “The Impact of Food Insecurity: How Communities Can Help!”.
The event raised some $1.4K for a dozen food pantries, including our Chamber’s donation of $500 for the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry, while Itasca Bank donated $25K to Event Sponsor DuPage Foundation to establish a fund to assist food pantries in need.
Video of the luncheon program will be available next week. Click HERE to view photo page.
Chamber of Commerce Week/Month
In celebration of Chamber of Commerce Week in Illinois, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry is sponsoring a month of networking and fundraising events, and offer recruitment incentives for new and reactivating members.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has proclaimed September 10-16 as Chamber of Commerce Week in Illinois and Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin has issued a Mayoral Proclamation declaring September 10-16 as Chamber of Commerce Week in Elmhurst.
Prospective members will have their $25 registration fee waived if they join in September or they can try out a three-month courtesy membership ending in November.
ECCI has contracted with entrepreneur, small business consultant and community advocate Jennifer Veremis as a Membership Associate to work on new member recruitment, starting with Chamber of Commerce Month and running through the end of 2023.
September events include “Networking on the 9s,” our Chamber’s 75th Annual Golf Outing at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park on September 22, monthly Business After Hours hosted by Elmhurst Brewing Co. on September 13 and monthly Membership Breakfast hosted by Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 on September 26.
“Networking on the 9s” also will included participation by members of the Villa Park Chamber of Commerce for the second year in a row.
In September, the first-ever website for the ECCI Centennial Celebration NFP’s Civic Hall of Fame public memorial is celebrating its first anniversary. A portable version of the 65-inch touchscreen TV went on display at the Elmhurst Public Library last December.
2024 Elmhurst Community Directory
September also signals the start of display advertising sales for the 2024 Elmhurst Community Directory, produced in partnership with the Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media. Come January, Directories will be Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)-delivered to some 19,800 residential, business and Post Office Box addresses across Elmhurst. Click HERE to reserve your ad space via our website event listing.
‘Networking on the 9s’
“Networking on the 9s,” our Chamber’s 75th Annual Golf Outing, will be staged at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park for Friday, September 22, with a maximum field of 72 golfers teeing off in a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Members of Villa Park Chamber of Commerce also will participate. Click HERE to register as a golfer, sponsor and/or luncheon guest.
Buck-A-Duck Raffle
The split-the-pot amount for the Buck-A-Duck Raffle is growing by some $100 at each of our Chamber’s monthly networking events, with event winners qualifying for the final drawing in December at the Annual Holiday Business After Hours hosted by Community Bank of Elmhurst.
Qualifiers include ECCI Board of Directors Treasurer Ralph Pechanio, Andrea Pokrefke and John Czyzycki of Elmhurst Bank, Mary Grether of the Elmhurst Symphony Association, Dr. Nicholas Bournazos (twice) of Be Well Chiropractic Clinic, James Rogers of Phase Three Brewing Taproom + Kitchen, Catalina Galvani of the Elmhurst Park District and Past ECCI Board Chair Eva Sanchez (twice) of See Your Property Right Here @properties Elmhurst.
Happy Anniversary
Two members celebrated Chamber anniversaries in August as follows: 30 years—Mostardi Platt; and 20 years—Metropolitan Family Services – DuPage.
New Members
Our Chamber welcomed two new members in August: HOTWORX Elmhurst and ZenBusiness.
Dropped Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following eight members in August: Chief Enterprises, Deanne Mazzochi, Elmhurst Dental Care, Elmhurst Extended Care Center, Harlo Grill, Prestige Decorating, Stasica Construction and Upstairs Downstairs Cleaning Service.
Deaths in the Chamber Family
It is with deep regret that I report the August 16 deaths of Willis Johnson, 86, Founder and Owner of Classic Cinemas/York Theatre, and Rich Rosenberg, 83, formerly Owner of Elmhurst Camera, both of whom will be remembered in September 2 services.
Johnson’s service will be staged at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by private interment at Chapel Hill Gardens West in Oakbrook Terrance. Click HERE to read his legacy.
Rosenberg’s service will be staged at Christ Church in Oak Brook, starting at 2 p.m. Click HERE to read his legacy.