After a hiatus of a few years, the Athens Area Chamber is excited to bring back its annual fall fundraiser, the Celebrate Athens Auction & Dinner! Come celebrate with us on September 15th at 4:30pm at the Dairy Barn Arts Center.
Formerly called the Annual Steak Fry and Auction, the event is returning with a new title – Celebrate Athens Auction & Dinner – that more accurately reflects the spirit of the event. This is a fun and lively night that celebrates and lifts-up the unique businesses and services in Athens while also raising funds for the Chamber to continue its mission to strengthen the Athens business community.
Many thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, OUCU Financial; our Gold Sponsors Fairfield Inn/Hampton Inn, Holzer, The Summit, and QuidelOrtho; our Silver Sponsors Area 14 Workforce Development Board, Career Connections, Mark Porter Autogroup, Merchant’s National Bank, OhioMeansJobs – Athens County, Shawna Stump with State Farm, The Ohio State University South Centers Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and Uptown Realty Group; and our Bronze Sponsors Atomic Credit Union and Herlihy Moving and Storage.
Rendering of Time Capsule being created by AC Green Metalworks.
The event will include some new, exciting features. Witness the final address from outgoing president Dani Underhill at the start of the night, and stay for the formal introduction of new Chamber President, Kristin Miller, after the live auction ends. Kristin will then kick-off her tenure as President by presenting and sealing the beautiful Celebrate Athens Time Capsule, which the Chamber has commissioned from member business AC Green Metalworks (the initial proposal for the time capsule is pictured at right). And we’re including all of our attendees in the time capsule fun! Attendees will be given the opportunity to write and leave a note in the time capsule (writing prompts, note paper, and pens will be provided), and everyone is invited to bring your business cards to place in the time capsule before it is sealed.
There is still time to contribute to the Celebrate Athens Time Capsule!
Digital Files (staff photos, etc.) are due Friday, September 2nd by 5:00pm. Please email those files to kristin@athenschambe.com.
Physical Items are due by Friday, September 9 at 5:00pm. Call the Chamber office at 740-593-9353 or email us at admin@athenschamber.com to make arrangements. Please restrict the size of materials to a sheet of paper (8.5”x11”).
Check out this live auction fun!
Along with these new features, many familiar parts of the event will still be present. While socializing during cocktail hour and the beginning of dinner, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind items and services in the silent auction that will be arranged throughout the Dairy Barn’s spacious gallery. Then the excitement ramps up during the live auction, where Bill L’Heureux will serve as the auctioneer and energetically lead attendees to try to outbid each other for some amazing packages and experiences, including a giving tree (a live tree covered with local gift certificates) and retreat-style and adventure-focused team building opportunities for groups. This live auction will be particularly special, as it will be one of the last public auctions that Shamrock Auction Service puts on before Pat and Wanda Sheridan close the business and retire in October.
And the night wouldn’t be complete without food and libations! The night’s menu, conceived and prepared by the Ohio University Inn and Conference Center executive chef, Andrew Rios Wenmoth, will offer grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs, tomato-mozzarella salad, quinoa salad, buttermilk mashed potatoes, fruit salad, rolls, and assorted desserts. A cash bar will also be open throughout the evening.
Celebrate Athens Schedule of Events (subject to change)
- 4:30pm – Cocktail Hour and Networking
- 5:45pm – Dinner
- 6:00pm – Live Auction
- Following Live Auction: Formal Introduction of President Kristin Miller and Time Capsule Sealing
Learn more at www.athenschamber.com/celebrate-athens-2022.