The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce was proud to recognize the following at the Annual Awards Dinner, Saturday, January 31, at Steventon's in LeClaire:

Volunteers of the Year - Joyce Kuehl and Diane Glispie, Christmas in LeClaire

Event of the Year - First Friday in LeClaire, Garrett and Ryan Burchett, Originators

Pineapple Award for Hospitality - Cindy Bruhn and Volunteers, LeClaire Information Center

Edward B. deSilva Award for Community Leadership - Vern Spring

Brick and Mortar Award for Opening or Expanding Business in LeClaire in 2014 -

Grasshopper's Guest House

Dwellings

Isabel Bloom

Wild Horse Canvas Prints

Everfield

LeClaire Olive Oil Company

El Rio Spa and Wellness

Mindfire Communications

Snap Fitness

Jones Street Java House

Grace Marine

Antique Archeology

Comfort Inn & Suites

Buffalo Bill Museum

Expressions in Threads

LeClaire Farmers Market

Freedom Rock of Scott County

Fig Tree

 

The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Board for 2015 was also introduced:

President - Mike Clingingsmith - CFO - Pleasant Valley Schools

Vice-President - Melody Oltmann - First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire

Secretary - Dr. Crystal Buesing - Dr. Crystal's Chiropractic Care

Treasurer - Andrew Arndt - Arndt Chiropractic Center, Inc.                          

Debbie Mulvania - VP and Branch Manager - First Central State Bank, LeClaire

KV Dahl - President of Dahl Ford

Kathleen Anderson - Sr. Assistant to the President, St. Ambrose University

Dennis Gerard - Former Sr. VP of Northern Region - Kone

Carl Hoyt, Jr. - President, Captain's Quarter's and Grace Marine

Emily Hudson - General Manager - Faithful Pilot Café and Spirits

Kristen Underwood - Blackhawk Bank & Trust - Branch Manager, LeClaire

 

We would like to thank Vern Spring, Jim Huiskamp and Dayle Hall for their service on the Board. All retired as of December 31, 2014.

 

Thank you, too, to all the businesses and individuals who attended the Dinner, and to those who donated and bid on items for the Live and Silent Auctions. It is due to your generosity that the event is such a huge success!

Van Nuys, CA - February 3, 2015

During the months of November and December, 10,184 generous dentists, companies, families and individuals from across the country collected Halloween candy and other Operation Gratitude Care Package items to send to the United States Military for the holidays.

In total, they collected and shipped more than 401,052 pounds of candy to Operation Gratitude. That poundage represents more than 12 Million individual pieces of candy lovingly donated to our military men and women.

"In addition to this enormous amount of candy, millions of other items, including snack food, toiletries, entertainment products, and hand-made scarves and paracord bracelets, were collected throughout the year for our troops," said Angel Cuevas, Operation Gratitude's Director of Operations and a Marine Veteran. "Just in this past year, we worked with 48,592 individual and corporate donors who made it possible for us to fulfill our mission of support to the military."

In 2014, Operation Gratitude's volunteers assembled and shipped 117,279 care packages to Troops deployed in harm's way, and to Veterans, New Recruits, Military Families, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their Care Givers.

Since its founding in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped a total of 1,188,661 care packages to the Military community.

Links
Operation Gratitude Website- www.operationgratitude.com
Pictures - https://www.facebook.com/OperationGratitude/photos_stream

About Operation Gratitude
Operation Gratitude annually sends more than 100,000 care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus personal letters of appreciation, to New Recruits, Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors, Care Givers and to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas. Its mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of our active duty and veteran communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation to members of our military. Each package contains donated product valued at $75-$100 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped almost 1.2 Million Care Packages.

Quad Cities Interfaith is putting on one of their spectacular Trivia Nights! Inspired by the Academy Awards, the night will consist of a wide variety of trivia, time spent with friends, and most importantly supporting a good cause!

Join QC Interfaith and friends, Saturday February 21st at Sacred Heart Davenport for a fun-filled night of trivia. The doors will open at 6 with the games beginning at 7:00pm.

The entrance is $10 a person, or $80 for a table of 8. QC Interfaith will also be providing snacks and drinks for purchase. To RSVP call 563.322.4910.

Thank you, Quad Cities, for your continued support!

More than 13,000 Girl Scouts are gearing up for an unprecedented cookie season.

Cookie sales begin Friday, February 13, 2015.

With the addition of cookie sales online, organizers expect this year to be busy.

"Our online sales are a convenient addition to our traditional cookie booths and door-to-door sales. Our customers will now be able to order their favorite Thin Mints or Caramel deLites from the comfort of their own home, or they can depend on local Girl Scouts to sell cookies at their front door," said Nikki Habben, Chief Operating Officer at Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

Girl Scouts aren't required to participate in the 100-year old cookie program, but more than 13,000 girls in the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois council have chosen to participate in the largest girl-led business in the world.

"Thousands of girls participate in this program because it really challenges them to learn skills they'll use the rest of their lives like goal setting and money management," said Habben.

Proceeds from each box are used to support local programs offered within the council.

To find your nearest box of Girl Scout cookies, go to www.GirlScoutCookies.org.

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About Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois: Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls where girls can have fun, make new friends and learn new things in a safe all-girl setting. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serves approximately 18,000 girls in 38 counties. For more information, visit GirlScoutsToday.com or call your local Girl Scout Leadership Center at 800-798-0833.