Donations Being Sought for Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards Banquet Silent Auction Oct. 2

The Waterbury Regional Chamber will host their 19th annual Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards banquet on Wednesday, October 2, at the Aqua Turf Club, Kay’s Pier North, 556 Mulberry Street in Plantsville, Connecticut from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. The event will feature a silent auction to help the not-for-profit Chamber’s economic development efforts, and donations continue to be accepted as either cash or auction items. Gary B. O’Connor, Esq. partner with Pullman & Comley, LLC in Waterbury, is the recipient of the chamber’s highly-prestigious 2013 Malcolm Baldrige Community Award. Jack E. Traver, Jr., president of Traver IDC in Waterbury is recipient of the Chamber’s 2013 Leadership Award, and Virginia O’Rourke Cookson, owner of O’Rourke & Birch Florist in Waterbury, is recipient of the Chamber’s 2013 Volunteer of the Year Award.

Items that have been donated to date toward the economic development fundraising silent auction include: dinner for eight at Carmen Anthony Steak House including house wines and beer and valued at $1,200 donated by Carmen Vacalebre of Carmen Anthony Steak House; two foursome rounds of golf at the Country Club of Waterbury which includes all green fees and golf cart valued at $500 each  and donated by the Country Club and Security First Insurance; four Yankees baseball game tickets donated by the Shaker Auto Group; a remote car starter donated by KarTele Cellular phones; a $500 gift card donated by Torrington Supply; an electronic tool box donated by Traver IDC.

Additional donated auction items include a $100 gift certificate and beautiful planter donated by O’Rourke & Birch Florist; tickets to a performance at the Palace Theater; tickets to the October 18 BWF-Business Women’s Forum at the Aqua Turf Club; a Flooring America gift certificate; one overnight stay at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in  Southbury; a Nespresso Cappuccino Maker donated by Jaci Carroll Staffing Services Inc.; Keurig K-Cup Office Pro donated by Suburban Stationers; $100 Littman’s gift cards and $100 Express gift cards donated by Brass Mills Center in Waterbury. Donations also include an iHome dual charge and play, dinner gift certificates to area restaurants, entertainment shows including Tony Orlando & Jim Brickman, designer sunglasses, plants, floral arrangements, and much more.

As a special fundraising contribution, the widely-popular Fascia’s Chocolates, Inc. of Waterbury has donated a Gourmet Chocolate Basket containing the very first of 50 “Golden Anniversary Prize Certificates” (GAP) they have created as part of their company’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Since being founded by John and Helen Fascia in 1964, the family-owned business has continued to create hand-made gourmet chocolates in Waterbury and will open a new factory and retail store at 44 Chase River Road in Waterbury in late September. Fascia's will officially kick off their 50th Anniversary celebration at the Chamber’s October 2 banquet by offering the first “Golden Anniversary Prize Certificates”. Holders of these certificates win a 1lb Fascia's Classic Assortment and the opportunity to be "Honorary Chocolatier and Official Taster" for a day at Fascia's new factory plus the chance to win one of seven Grand Prizes at Fascia's Anniversary Party in September 2014. GAP Certificates will be hidden in Fascia's boxed assortments and made available through raffles and charitable auctions throughout the year. Grand Opening weekend festivities for Fascia’s new building will be held October 12-14, 2013 and will include entertainment, samples of chocolate and Fascia's new Gelato offering, as well as raffles including Golden Anniversary Prize Certificates.

One of the largest chambers in Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber (www.waterburychamber.com) currently boasts a membership of over 1,100 businesses in the Greater Waterbury region including Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury. “Each year,” stated Lynn Ward, Waterbury Regional Chamber President and CEO, “we present the highly-prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Community Award in honor of an area business leader. The award is given in recognition of individuals whose commitment to the Waterbury community has been exemplified by their vision and leadership in the area of economic development and growth. Malcolm Baldrige believed in community, leadership and volunteerism. That is why we also present our Chamber’s prestigious leadership and volunteer awards to recognize individuals who exemplify the globally-recognized and honored world-wide achievements of business and community leader, Malcolm Baldrige.”

Former Woodbury, Connecticut resident Malcolm Baldrige guided Waterbury’s Scovill Manufacturing Company for more than two decades. Appointed President Ronald Regan’s Secretary of Commerce, Baldrige implemented new laws to help American businesses grow. Malcolm Baldrige’s accomplishments are chronicled worldwide in newspapers, magazines, documents and journals. Well-known throughout United States business arenas, and in Russia and China where he negotiated trade talks during his tenure in Regan’s cabinet, he is acknowledged in America for his legacy of success through quality. Nominees for the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Malcolm Baldrige Awards are considered for their role in creating new employment opportunities in the region, for enhancing the overall economic growth of the region, and for playing a leading role in initiating new business or development throughout the Greater Waterbury region.

Webster Bank is the Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner’s platinum sponsor and dinner tickets are $150/person. To make a reservation, and learn more about the Waterbury Regional Chamber visit www.waterburychamber.com, call 203-757-0701, or email to info@waterburychamber.com.