Chamber’s awards gala will be next Saturday

Once the calendar turns over to a new year, there are any number of things we can all count on.

First, you can count on writing the wrong date on your personal checks for at least a month,

Second, you can count on dressing like an onion for about a month – layers upon layers, topped by even more layers

Third, you can count on an awards show onslaught. Golden Globes. Oscars. Emmys. Tonys. Grammys. Obies. People’s Choice Awards.

Just in case you found yourself overlooked for any of the aforementioned awards, check out the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Awards Gala next Saturday at the Mirabeau Park Hotel.

Unlike those aforementioned awards shows, Joan Rivers and her daughter will not be outside, critiquing every ensemble that passes her gaze.

There will, however, be a collection of your friends and neighbors, each of whom has worked long and hard this past year to continue to make the Spokane Valley a great place to live.

Here are a few of the nominees:

In the category of small business of the year: Nectar of Life Coffee, Beal Digital Media, Heart in Hand, Screen Tek and Fashion Carpets.

Medium-sized business of the year: Office Depot, Major Mortgage, IEDS and Vivato.

Large business of the year: Global Credit Union, United Coatings, STCU, Valley Hospital and Medical Center, St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, West Valley School District and Humanix.

Community Caring Award: Chris Armstrong, Dishman Dodge, Tomlinson Black, US Marine Bayliner and Inland Power and Light.

Nonprofit organization of the year: Meals on Wheels, Spokane Valley Community Center, SNAP, Goodwill, Sports USA and Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council.

Chamber member volunteer of the year: Skip Bonuccelli, Kelli Anderson, Karen Wright, Sue Schindler, Debbie Navin, Steve Kunin, Connie Wagner, Gary Roberto, Brenda Arthur and Chris Armstrong.

And the capper award of the evening: the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year. This year’s trio of nominees are: Michael DeVleming, Julie Prafke and Dr. Philip Rudy.

The gala evening, hosted by KXLY-TV news anchor Richard Brown, includes a silent auction that features an array of weekend getaways and other products and services from members of the Chamber. Proceeds benefit a number of community projects, including the Miss Spokane Valley Ambassadors outreach efforts.

So, if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doesn’t call you with your nomination and your ticket to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles, you can still get in on the thrill of an awards show. And celebrate some of what makes the Valley special and benefit some of the programs that continue to make it that way.