Homespun, Leadership Polk events coming up
Chamber finalizing plans for annual Polk County celebration, looking to kickoff Leadership Polk with DAPC's help next week
The Polk County Chamber of Commerce is making strong advances on many of their projects including Homespun and Leadership Polk.
Both events are set to take place in July - one coming up this weekend - and are seeing large amounts of support and sponsorship.
Homespun, taking place from July 21 and July 22, is receiving historic amounts of love from local citizens. An incredible $19,950 in sponsorship funds have been collected and the chamber is expected to hit at least $20,450 before the event begins. This number is already higher than last year's $16,800 in sponsorship funds.
For the first known time in Homespun history, the event is completely maxed out in regards to vendors, and the chamber has contacted and requested additional space from Mayor Miller.
The Chamber is hoping to see the event branch out to "the doors behind the memorial parking space possibly closing the street to make room for vendors.”
With 51 paid arts and crafts vendors and an additional 9 food vendors, Homespun staff is hoping to acquire at least 60 total spaces.
Even more additional space will be needed for entertainment considering one citizen is bringing a petting zoo and sup- plying pony rides.
Homespun fliers are being spread around, the event is listed in a local magazine, and t- shirts are ready to be sold.
Shirts are $15 for youth to extra large and $18 for the larger sizes. Homespun 2017 is certainly a contender for the history books.
There was more to the July 13 meeting than Homespun, however. Development Authority President Missy Kendrick pointed out that the Leadership Polk class of 2017 would be introduced on July 27 at the Nathan Dean Center at 6 p.m.
Those with invites to the event should have al- ready received them and are encouraged to attend. Trey Kelley will be the key speaker at the event and refreshments will be provided.
The following Saturday, the class will go on retreat to Berry where they will receive instruction on leadership and teamwork building.
The class will continue well into November before the class graduates and makes way for the Polk Leadership class of 2018.
Leadership Polk immerses candidates in vari ous aspects of Polk County while teaching them leadership traits and teamwork skills. Out of the 24 applicants, 19 skilled men and women were accepted into the program.
The Chamber meeting was held at Rockmart's Miura manufacturing facility.
Miura is a major manufacturer of boilers and is headquartered in Matsuyama, Japan. The manufacturing giant sells to all of the U. S, Mexico, and Brazil and hires approximately 85 people in Rockmart.
They also made advancements with their recently completed show room that highlights various products the company sells.