​The 2018 market season will come to a close at the end of October, and we are celebrating another wonderful year!
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One of the great successes of the market is the Kids Club - SPROUTS - that was started in 2016. We love seeing these sweet kids at the market each week. The club is making a positive impact on members in a variety of ways, from trying new healthy foods, to learning important lessons in money management, and making new friends!

If you would like to help support the market and the Sprouts Kids Club, or if you just want an awesome new shirt to add to your closet, please fill out this form and return it to the Chamber Office by Friday, October 12.

Fifteen individuals have been selected to the 2018 class of Outstanding Young Professionals, sponsored by The Missourian and the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce.  This year, the selection committee received more nominations than ever before in the 6-year history of the awards!  Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination!  The 2018 OYP Class includes:

Recipients of the OYP Awards will be honored at the Chamber's Member Luncheon on Monday, September 24. 
Reservations can be made by contacting Cheryl (636-239-2715 x102) by Friday, September 14.  Tickets are $12.  More information on the Member Luncheon can be found here.

This year, the event will be catered by Droege's Catering Company.
Menu:
Fried Chicken
Red Potato Salad
Green Beans w/ Ham
Rolls & Butter
Assorted Cookies & Brownies
Tea, Lemonade, Water
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The program will include the presentation of the Outstanding Young Professionals Class of 2018.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone.  We had a lot of qualified candidates!  A representative from the Young Ambassadors, a new joint steering committee formed by the Chamber, Downtown Washington, and the City of Washington, will report on upcoming plans for the Young Professionals networking group.

Tickets to the Member Luncheon are $12/person. Please RSVP to Cheryl (636-239-2715 x102) by Friday, September 14 if you would like to attend the luncheon.  Payment is due Monday, September 17 and can be brought to the Chamber Office (323 W Main Street) or mailed to PO Box 752, Washington, MO  63090.

Franklin County will be celebrating its 200th year in 2019.   As a member of their marketing committee, I wanted to share their website and facebook page.  Additionally, we are working to come up with a variety of marketing/promotional campaigns.
 
Marketing ideas are coming together, so I wanted to reach out each of our members to let you know about one idea  …a public art project.  Some of you may be familiar with the St. Louis 250th birthday cakes.  If not, these were fiberglass cakes placed throughout the St. Louis region as far out as Franklin County.  The cakes were a huge success, drawing tourists, art lovers, and people who enjoy a good scavenger hunt.  We are considering doing something similar, but on a smaller scale, and instead of cakes, kites! When you think of Ben Franklin (for whom our county is named), you think of the kite experiment.  Also, the kites would be made of stainless steel, to withstand the elements.
 
The kites will be approximately 5-feet tall, including the tail, and can hang on a building or they can be free-standing (with the proper equipment.) We are wanting sponsors who will display a kite painted by themselves or by a local artist. These kites will be on display from approximately March through the end of 2019, which is the county’s bicentennial. Similar to the St. Louis cakes, people will be looking to find all of the kites throughout the county. The sponsors will have the opportunity to use this as a draw to their business or destination. At the end of the year, prizes will be given to “hunt winners”. The sponsorship is a $200 investment, but we believe the marketing value will certainly out-weigh the cost. We hope this county-wide bicentennial project has piqued your interest and will want to participate when the kites become available!

Mary Beth Rettke
Washington Tourism Director

​Come experience a Tasting of Fall Fun, Local Restaurants, Music and Drinks from all over Franklin County!  Over 20 vendors donate their time and product so all ticket revenue goes to support Foundations for Franklin County!
The event is held 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 4 at Hillermann Nursery & Florist (2601 E 5th Street, Washington).  Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased here.  Tickets can also be purchased at the event for $30 each.  
Come experience a Tasting of Fall Fun, Local Restaurants, Musics and Drinks from all over Franklin County! Join us for an evening of great food and fun! Over 20 vendors will be there with all their yummy goodness. Our wonderful partners are donating their time and products, so your ENTIRE TICKET PRICE goes to support Foundations for Franklin County!

​Neighborhood Reads bookstore and The Missourian are throwing a party for teachers on Thursday, Aug. 30, and the theme is reading!
 
Educators who attend the Teacher Appreciation open house from 5 to 7 p.m. will take home free classroom books, all paperback advance reading copies. Additional books will be given away as door prizes. The bookstore will offer credentialed educators a 20 percent discount on books during the event.
 
The Missourian will share information on its youth literacy programs, including Missourian In Education, which provides classroom newspapers and curriculum to teachers at no charge, and Book Buzz, which delivers 100 new, hardback books every month to area school libraries, and writing opportunities for students.
 
The Teacher Appreciation event will be held at Neighborhood Reads bookstore in downtown Washington, 401 Lafayette St., across from the library. The bookstore is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. To learn more, visit neighborhoodreads.com.