Distinguished Citizens Banquet
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet on this unique evening, February 29th—a Leap Day! It's not every year we get the gift of an extra day, and what better way to spend this rare occasion than by coming together as a community, celebrating kindness, achievement, and unity. Leap Day is a time of opportunity, a moment to leap forward with purpose and passion, just as our honorees have done in their contributions to our beloved community.
Today also marks National Kindness Day, aligning perfectly with the spirit of our gathering. It underscores the impact of communal support, understanding, and the simple acts of kindness that thread through the fabric of our daily lives. These acts, big and small, are what make our community not just a place, but a home.
As we gather tonight, under the glamorous theme 'A Night at the Oscars,' let's embrace the spotlight not just on our award recipients, but also on every member of our community. Each of you plays a starring role in the success story of our town. The Chamber of Commerce, standing strong for 141 years, is honored to champion this narrative, supporting, advocating, and promoting the businesses and individuals who inject vitality, care, and quality into our way of life.
This evening, as we leap into festivities, let's also leap into a renewed commitment to each other, to our businesses, and to our collective future. In what has been a challenging year economically, your continued support of local enterprises is more crucial than ever. Your presence here tonight is a testament to the strength and resilience of our community bonds.
So, let's celebrate these special Leap Day heroes, our community's kindness, and the unwavering spirit of our businesses. Here's to leaping forward together, fostering a culture of kindness and collaboration that will propel us into the future. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary leap year celebration, a night to remember and cherish until the next Leap Day rolls around! We want to express a special thank you to our Title Sponsor Highstreet Insurance & Financial Services, our Philanthropic Sponsor, Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, and our many Table Sponsors, and all our volunteers. It truly takes an entire community for this celebration!!
Each year the Chamber asks for nominations from the community for people or organizations that have gone above and beyond for our community and never look for credit. Tonight, we will acknowledge the award winners for the Distinguished Citizens of our community for 2023…
This year's awards will be presented in the following categories....
Outstanding Woman of the Year
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Outstanding Man of the Year
Outstanding Educator of the Year
Outstanding Youth of the Year
Agricultural Achievement Award
Outstanding First Responder of the Year
Outstanding Business of the Year
2023 Outstanding Woman of the Year
Shelly Hensen
2023 Outstanding Man of the Year
Randy 'Haines' Twidwell
2023 Outstanding Youth of the Year
Mayat Winwood
2023 Outstanding First Responder
Division Chief Fred Coleman
2023 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Virginia McKay
2023 Outstanding Educator of the Year
Robert Wells-Clark
2023 Agricultural Achievement Award
Brenda Thomas
2023 Outstanding Business of the Year
The Workshop
2023 Annual Distinguished Citizens Banquet
Great Gatsby Gala
This year The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce was excited to put on our first in person banquet since 2020. Our Great Gatsby Gala was a night filled with glitz, glam, and community! We are so proud of our winners and all their efforts to make our community a better place.
Above are the winners nominated by fellow citizens in our community. Click on their pictures to read their stories we hope you are inspired by their hardwork and determination. If you see these folks out in our community be sure to thank them for all they do.
We will be looking for nominations at the end of 2023, so keep your eyes open and if you see someone doing outstanding things for our community make sure you take a moment to fill out a nomination form.
Congratulations to all our winners!
2022 Annual Distinguished Citizens Banquet
Every January The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes local citizens and organizations that have had an incredible impact on our community. We collect nominations from community members then a committee decides the winners.
Last year we were not able to hold the traditional banquet but we had a great time surprising the winners around The Dalles. Thank you very much to our title sponsor ISU Insurance Agency - The Stratton Agency for their support of our event.
Below are the Distinguished Citizens that were chosen in 2022.
Keep watching for the nomination form to be released so you can help us honor local citizens for their impact on the community in 2022!
