By James Massara

If someone passed Trillium Event Center on Tuesday, Oct. 24, they may have thought Ohio State somehow was scheduled for a weeknight game and they were missing out on the largest tailgate party in the county.

Instead, what they were witnessing was the annual Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce meeting with a themed twist.

The annual meeting, which was presented by sponsor OhioHealth, played host to activities such as a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, cornhole toss with a raffle prize, tailgate-style food served by Carle’s throughout the evening in “quarters” and much more.

Even more than 50 members of the Buckeye Central High School marching band made an appearance to add to the ambiance of the gathering.

But through the sound of trumpets and the smell of barbecue sauce, winners eventually were named.

Five local businesses and business owners were named as the top of their class during the meeting and were recognized among their peers.

The honorees were:

Young professional of the year: Katie Kruse, Salon Ooh-LaLa

Organization of the year: Crawford County Community Concert Association

Business of the year: Avita Health System

Volunteer of the year: Sue Logsdon, U Be Dazzled

Citizen of the year: Dan Price, A-1 Printing Inc.

A main theme from chamber executives was the change that took place for the organization over the past year. Both Chamber Executive Director Tyler Jacobs and Chamber Board President Kristie Slagle acknowledged changes to the group’s logo and website.

“The change wasn’t just on paper or on the web, either,” Slagle said. “The chamber relocated from the beautiful home on Rensselaer to a space-efficient, modern facility at the Crawford Partnership, just steps from Millennium Park. The relocation not only streamlined the operational side of the chamber, but it also positioned the chamber to build collaborative relationships with other organizations focused on the betterment of our community within a convenient location.”

Slagle also complimented the member ship growth, which occurred in the group’s first year under Jacob’s direction.

“In just one year under Tyler’s direction, the chamber has grown by 26 members,” she said. “The chamber’s vision has grown to seek and identify new opportunities to add value for members — to focus on relationship building, connecting resources, and optimizing efforts to promote and champion the business community in Bucyrus and surrounding areas.”

Jacobs expressed his gratitude for all in attendance and the rest of the business community. He was thankful for the chamber community embracing change, and he said he looks forward to becoming a 300-member chamber. He also shared his gratefulness for the participating sponsors.

“This evening couldn’t have happened without our sponsors, and our presenting sponsor, OhioHealth,” Jacobs said.