Chamber presents Shotgun Shells and Crawfish Tails

The WMWO Chamber will present Shotgun Shells and Crawfish Tails, our annual spring fundraiser, on Friday, May 1 at the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office Rifle Range in West Monroe.

The event will feature a crawfish boil and new to this year's event is a 5 Stand Skeet Tournament. Live music will be provided by The Waterboys!

The Skeet Tournament begins at noon and will end at 4 p.m. with the announcement of winners. Crawfish will be served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Crawfish tickets are $25 per person which includes five pounds of crawfish, vegetables, dessert and unlimited beverages. Registration for the 5 Stand Tournament is $250 for a five-person team. Prizes will be awarded to the top shot and top teams.

The event will be a great time for networking and relaxing. Several wonderful prizes will be raffled off to attendees.

To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets, please call the WMWO Chamber at (318) 325-1961 or visit: http://westmonroechamber.chambermaster.com/events/details/shotgun-shells-crawfish-tails-2015-chamber-crawfish-boil-5-stand-skeet-tourney-presented-by-cooper-veterinary-hospital-2055 

Parish-wide cleanup set for March 28

Across the country, the spring season is know as the time for the "Great American Cleanup," where residents, business leaders and civic groups come together to clean their individual communities.

The Great American Cleanup will be observed locally in Ouachita Parish on Saturday, March 28. The cleanup is hosted by Ouachita Green, a non-profit organization made up of three Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliates - Keep Monroe, Keep West Monroe and Keep Ouachita Parish Beautiful.

Members of the community are asked to put teams together to clean a portion of Ouachita Parish this Saturday. Whether it's a park, neighborhood, playground or roadway, your efforts can make a difference in improving the appearance of our community.

Did you know the state of Louisiana spends nearly $40 million a year picking up trash? Just think how much money we could save if we took individual responsibility for picking up litter we see every day - even if we were not the ones who put it there!

Please consider taking time on March 28 to be a part of the Great American Cleanup in Ouachita Parish. If you cannot take part this Saturday, consider organizing your own cleanup anytime this spring.

To learn more about the cleanup or to register online, please visit www.ouachitagreen.org. Participants will also find a list of supply pick up locations. Several sites throughout the parish will have supplies ready for pick up on Saturday including orange safety vests, litter grab it tools and trash bags.

WMWO Chamber to offer Colors of New England tour this fall

The WMWO Chamber of Commerce has partnered once again with Collette Travel and the Ruston-Lincoln Parish Chamber of Commerce to offer group travel this fall to New England.

The "Colors of New England" trip will take place October 6-13, 2015, journeying through New England's charming and vibrant northern states. Highlights of the trip include tours of Boston, Massachussetts, Woodstock, Kennebunkport, Lake Winnipesaukee Cruise, Quechee Gorge and a tour of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. Travelers will even be treated to a lobster dinner and will be able to watch apples transform into cider the old-fashioned way using a rack and cloth press.

Check out the link below for a video describing the Colors of New England trip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evhegWkb4yo

To learn more about this unique trip opportunity, you are invited to attend a meeting on Tuesday, February 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the WMWO Chamber of Commerce office at 112 Professional Drive in West Monroe. Call the Chamber at (318) 325-1961 for more information or to reserve a seat.

WMWO Chamber announces release of 2015 Member Directory and Relocation Guide

The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the recent publication of its 2015 Membership Directory and Relocation Guide.

The guide, published by Innesto Marketing, features a listing of WMWO Chamber members (as of this fall) and several articles about the region including education, healthcare, attractions and amenities. This information can be extremely beneficial to visitors who are considering moving to this area and our newest business owners and residents.

Copies are currently being mailed to every WMWO Chamber member. This annual publication is free of charge to the public. Copies may be picked up at the Chamber office, located at 112 Professional Drive in West Monroe.

An online version of the directory will also be made available in the near future on the Chamber's website at www.westmonroechamber.org.

 

WMWO Chamber makes donation to Smiles Park at Kiroli

 

The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce had an incredible opportunity to help support a new addition to the community.

 

The Chamber recently made a monetary donation to the new West Monroe Civitan Smiles Park project. The park will be a new inclusive children's playground with a handicapped-accessible pavilion and restrooms built within Kiroli Park in West Monroe.

At the Chamber's Annual Banquet on December 8, a $2,500 donation was presented to the West Mornoe Civitan Club on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Chick-fil-A. Carrie Kurlander, vice president of public relations at Chick-fil-A, served as the keynote speaker at the Chamber's Annual Banquet. In appreciation for Chick-fil-A's generous support of the banquet, the Chamber wanted to make a donation in the company's honor to a program that would enhance the West Monroe area for families.

The Civitan Club, organizers of the annual Ark-La-Miss Fair, is the major sponsor of the project along with the City of West Monroe. The Civitan Club has worked for two years with Shane's Inspiration, a California-based non-profit organization, to design Smiles Park.

Matt West, Committee Chairman of the park project, said playgrounds such as these are for all children of all abilities to play on. The misson of the project is to create social inclusion for children with disabilities through the vehicle of inclusive playgrounds and programs.

 

The Civitan Club hopes to raise approximately $1.2 million to complete Smiles Park. Funds raised to date are $350,000 of which the West Monroe Civitan Club is contributing $270,000 of its own funds. The goal is to finish fundraising as soon as possible and begin construction on the park sometime in 2015.

To learn more about Smiles Park, you can visit www.wmcivitan.com. The park also has a Facebook page where updates are posted on fundraising and construction plans. Check it out at www.facebook.com/WestMonroeCivitanSmilesParkatKiroli or call (318) 884-9810.

WMWO Chamber announces award winners at Annual Banquet

 

The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the winners of several awards presented at the Annual Banquet held on Monday, December 8.

The two highest awards presented by the WMWO Chamber are the A.O. Evans Award and the Entrepreneurial Success Award.

The A.O. Evans Award is presented annually to an individual who has made lasting contributions to the West Monroe and West Ouachita areas.  The award is named after the founder of the Chamber of Commerce - A.O. Evans.  The 2015 Award Winner is Johnny Huntsman, founder of Johnny's Pizza House.

The Entrepreneurial Success Award is presented to a WMWO Chamber business that exemplifies a true entrenpreneurial spirit in three areas - employees, management style and entrepreneurial spirit. The Third Annual Award was presented to Linda Silmon and her team at Silmon Cash & Carry, Inc. of West Monroe.

Other awards presented at the Annual Banquet include Diplomat of the Year, which was presented to Jeanette Hrafnsson of Cheeks Air Worx. Four public safety officers of the year were also recognized. Those winners include City of West Monroe Police Department - Detective Matt Graves; City of West Monroe Firefighter of the Year Captain Christopher Long; Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Deputy Todd McLain and Ouachita Parish Firefighter of the Year Captain Michael Young.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

An online photo gallery of this year's Annual Banquet and winners was provided by Amanda Leigh Photography and can be found at:

http://amandaleighphotography.shootproof.com/event/1104358

 

 

WMWO Chamber Banquet & Silent Auction December 8

 

A trip to Cancun - one of the amazing trips offered at this year's silent auction.

The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce will host a silent auction as part of this year's Annual Banquet on Monday, December 8 at the West Monroe Convention Center.

The silent auction will open to bidders beginning at 6 p.m. at the Convention Center, and bidding will be allowed until 7:30 p.m.

Several wonderful packages are being offered at this year's auction, many of which feature local products, goods and services. The packages are themed and include "Girls' Weekend Getaway," "Family Adventure," "Taste of the Bayou" and "Sportsman's Paradise."

If adventure is your passion, there are several packages waiting just for you. Up for bid is a plane ride for two to New Orleans where you can watch the New Orleans Saints play from a suite in the Superdome. For the outdoor lover, there is a guided duck hunt up for grabs as well as a guided fishing trip, provided by the ULM Fishing Team.

For the travel lover, we have seven destination packages ranging from tropical getaway to exciting big city adventure. Some of these packages include a Classic Wrigley Field Rooftop Experience, an Amazing New York City Weekend, Napa Valley Backroads and Railways and tickets to see the Country Music Awards or the ESPY Awards.

To learn more about the seven destination packages, please Click Here.

Tickets are still available to attend the Chamber's Annual Banquet and Silent Auction. To learn more about these silent auction items or to purchase tickets, please call the WMWO Chamber of Commerce at (318) 325-1961.

 

Napa Valley Backroads and Railways Silent Auction package.