Chamber celebrates centennial at banquet

The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce turns 100 this year and chamber officials have lined up a year’s worth of events to mark the centennial.

The first starts today, Friday, Feb. 9, at the Edmonds Museum, 118 Fifth Ave. N., with a display of chamber-related memorabilia and photos highlighting 100 years of events and achievements.

The chamber’s annual banquet is tonight at the Edmonds Conference Center, 201 Fourth Ave. N. The banquet will feature five actors in period-appropriate costumes representing various eras of chamber growth and involvement. The actors will give brief monologues, remembering the issues of the eras.

“It has been a pleasure to chair the board of directors for the Greater Edmonds Chamber of Commerce and I consider it an honor to be the president of this fine organization in its centennial year,” said David Stern, Edmonds’ chief of police. “Edmonds is a great city and at its core is a progressive business community that cares about the community in which it does business.

“When you make it to 100, you know you are doing something right.”

With close to 400 members today, the chamber started with 12 members in 1907, according to chamber officials. Its mission was, and still is, to “Promote the economic vitality of the greater Edmonds business community through advocacy, leadership and education.”

Serving a thriving business community and a city of more than 40,000 residents, the chamber has grown from meeting the needs of a logging camp to those of a vibrant suburban community.

Edmonds’ founding father, George Brackett, was a supporter and active member of the chamber in his time.

From the beginning, the chamber has not only served the businesses, but the larger community as well.

Over the years, the chamber has organized free community events ranging from bus service to get voters to school polling places in order to mark their ballots to concerts in Edmonds parks.

Today, the chamber organizes the Edmonds Fourth of July celebration, which is also commemorating its centennial this year.

By far, the chamber’s largest yearly event is the Taste of Edmonds, which welcomed more than 75,000 visitors in 2006 to taste a variety of food, shop commercial and arts-and-crafts booths and enjoy entertainment on several stages.

“The planning for this event takes the better part of a year, organized by an all-volunteer group,” said Sandra Waldo, vice president of operations at Mountain Pacific Bank, an Edmonds Chamber board member and the chair of Taste of Edmonds.

“By the time the Taste is done, more than 220 volunteers have been involved. I think this speaks to what a great organization the Edmonds chamber really is.”

The chamber also organizes Edmonds’ Third Thursday Art Walks; Hot Autumn Nites!, a classic car show on Main Street in September; a downtown Halloween event; and a Christmas tree lighting and winter celebration in late November.

“The Edmonds chamber does strive to bring visitors to the community and we have a great time organizing our festivals and public events,” said Jan Vance, executive director. “However, at the core of this organization are the opportunities afforded our members by networking, providing business resources, professional seminars, promotional opportunities and by keeping our members informed with the chamber’s monthly newsletter.”

Vance said that as part of the 100-year celebration the chamber will be offering some very special incentives for new businesses to join its ranks and reap the rewards.