BECKLEY, WV (WOAY)- It was a night of fun, music, and 60s Vegas glam at the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center Thursday night. The Beckley Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce held its 104th annual Community Awards Gala.
This event is a fun way to bring the over 600 members of the Chamber of Commerce together. However, the event does more than just some fun and good food.
“We bring all of our membership together to talk about our successes over the past year, where we’ve been, when and where we’re going,” said Michelle Rotellini, President & CEO of BRCCC. “We also celebrate community awards this evening. We are going to talk about the work that the chamber has done in the past year. The chairman of the board will be giving a couple of minutes’ speech, we will crown our Appalachian Festival queen, and we will give our awards for the Partner in Education, our Iron Pillar, and our prestigious Community Service award.”
This year’s gala was called “Fly Me to the Moon,” so the theme was Vegas in the ’60s. They had classic cars, themed signs, photo opportunities, and even the Rat Pack themselves, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin performing classic music for attendees.
Even Monroe sang Happy Birthday to WVU Tech President, as a call to Monroe’s iconic performance to JFK. It was certainly a “swinging” night for the community.
Appalachian Festival Queen: Haley Jo Hunt
Partner in Education Award: United Way of Southern WV
Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award: The WV Collective
Iron Pillar: Hospice of Southern West Virginia
Mover of Mountains: Posthumously to Dave Tolliver, former Raleigh County Commission President
Community Leadership & Service Award: The Beckley Dance Theatre School and The Rose Family
Catch anchor Serena Davanzo live preview of the event: https://youtu.be/sUEOT_Hb170?feature=shared
