The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce announces the four recipients of its Shining Stars Awards to be recognized on Friday, March 1, at its annual event presented by Westfield Bank at the Castle of Knights.
Ashley Kohl will be recognized as the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Kohl is the creative director and owner of Ohana School of Performing Arts on Sheridan Street in Chicopee.
Mercedes-Benz of Springfield will be recognized as the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.
Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts will be recognized as the Greater Chicopee Chamber Nonprofit Organization of the Year.
Daryl Grabowski will be recognized as the Greater Chicopee Chamber Volunteer of the Year. Grabowski has been an active part of the chamber community since The Gaudreau Group (now USI) became a member in 2012.
The Shining Stars event takes place March 1, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive. The chamber invites its membership to attend. Tickets are $65 per person. To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorships, visit www.chicopeechamber.org or call the office at 413-594-2101.
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The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield has announced its networking events.
To learn more about Springfield YPS and its programming, visit https://www.springfieldyps.com/.
Upcoming events include: YPS Taco Tuesday with Motu Indian Kitchen on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., at Motu Indian Kitchen at 520 N Main St., East Longmeadow. The event is free for all attendees and includes one complimentary taco. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
YPS Third Thursday: Karaoke Catch-Up on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., at Loophole Brewing, at 51-59 Taylor Street, Springfield. Registration is encouraged on YPS’ website.
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Springfield College has been recognized as one of the best online colleges in Massachusetts for 2024 by Forbes Advisor.
Springfield College offers 21 online-specific programs, part time and full time, at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Programs include Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Human Services, Master of Business Administration in Non-Profit Management, Organizational Leadership, and Speech-Language Pathology.
Forbes Advisor scored schools based on the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process.
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The United Way of Pioneer Valley will launch VolunteerConnect, a program of community events, workshops and services that connect volunteers with opportunities in the Valley. it aims to match volunteers with open volunteer positions throughout the region. The platform is free to use and can be accessed through United Way’s website at https://volunteer.uwpv.org/.
A VolunteerConnect online learning session will be held Wednesday. Feb. 7, from noon to 1 p.m. UWPV will also host a Mix & Mingle that evening from 5 to 6 p.m. at the United Way Service Center 1441 Main St., Springfield, to celebrate the kickoff of VolunteerConnect, including a live demonstration of the platform.
Registration is free and available through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/volunteerconnect-launchdemo-tickets-804110605467.
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Citizens Bank announced it has opened its annual Small Business Community Champion Award Contest, which recognizes the contributions small businesses make within their communities. Now in its seventh year, the contest will award $10,000 each to 30 small businesses across Citizens’ footprint, including 10 minority-owned and 10 women-owned businesses. This year, for the first time, Citizens will also set aside five of its 30 awards exclusively for veteran-owned businesses along with five other qualifying businesses. The contest is open until 5 p.m. on Feb. 1.
To date, the program has awarded more than $1.2 million, helping 112 small businesses to further expand their operations, offer valuable products and services to customers and support community growth.
The Citizens Small Business Community Champion Award Contest: Eligible for-profit small businesses can enter for a chance to win $10,000. To enter, businesses must answer the following questions.
How would you use the Citizens Small Business Community Champion Award to strengthen and sustain your business? (100-word maximum.)
How would you use the Citizens Small Business Community Champion Award to support your community’s growth and their evolving needs and behaviors? (150-word maximum.)
Official rules, including eligibility, entry and submission requirements, and additional instructions are provided on the contest website. To enter, visit businesschampion2024.com.
For-profit small businesses with up to $3 million in annual revenue that have been in business for at least two years and maintain a minimum of five full or part-time employees or contractors for no less than 51% of any calendar year. Businesses must be either a Citizens Bank, N.A. business banking account holder as of 1/18/24 or based in Citizens’ footprint, which includes Massachusetts and Connecticut. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Additional restrictions apply.
