2,000 fuzzy Chamber ambassadors on a mission
The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce had 2,000 adorable guests at its networking luncheon at the Colonnade on April 20. The guests were fuzzy and colorful and just passing through on their way to an important mission. And they were stuffed, even before the luncheon began.
The huge pile of stuffed animals at the luncheon was the brainchild of Leadership Catoosa’s Class of 2023, says Chamber CEO Amy Jackson. Leadership Catoosa is a nine-month course run by the Chamber for adults within the community who wish to hone skills and gain working knowledge in areas ranging from teambuilding and networking to economic development, tourism, local and state government, and health and social services.
Each class chooses a com
munity service project. This year’s class of 29 members came up with the idea to collect new stuffed animals for children suffering from upsetting or traumatic experiences. The stuffed animals were distributed after
the luncheon to groups that work with children.
Chamber member, local financial advisor and Leadership Class member Geo Mejia shared an experience with fellow diners. “I was a police officer in Texas,” he said. “There
was a car fire on a local highway. When I got there the car was completely engulfed. A mother and her 6-year-old son were standing nearby.”
Mejia told his audience that the little family was homeless and had just lost everything
they owned in the fire. “I had a stuffed animal in my patrol car. I got it and gave it to the boy. It gave him a little smile and some hope at one of the worst moments of his life.”
That’s what Leadership Catoosa members wanted to provide for other children. They developed a plan and put out word and several months later they had a pile of stuffed animals
that filled an entire room in the Chamber’s suite of offices.
The stuffed animals have been distributed to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Oglethorpe and Ringgold Police Departments, Puckett and CHI Memorial EMS services, CHI Memorial Emergency Room, Catoosa County Department of Family and Children’s Services, and Children’s Advocacy. Blankets were also donated, says Jackson, and will be delivered to the Family Crises Center and NHC Nursing Home.
To learn more about the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce, visit https:// www.catoosachamberofcommerce.com/index.php.