The Arnold Chamber of Commerce turns 45 this year.
To mark the occasion, the chamber will hold an anniversary celebration from 6-10 p.m. Saturday at the Arnold VFW Post 2593, 2301 Church Road.
The public is invited, but attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing executive director Terri Starwalt at director@arnoldchamber.org.
At the party, food from chamber member Frankie Gianino’s restaurant will be served. The event also will include a DJ, raffle and silent auction, Starwalt said.
In honor of the group’s 45 years, 45 items either will be raffled off or available for bid in the silent auction, she said.
“I want to thank our members for the 45 years of support they have given the chamber,” Starwalt said. “We get a lot of support from our members. They are involved, and we are really pleased with that. They want to help.”
Humble beginning
Dan Govero, owner of Govero Land Services in Imperial, said he was one of the Arnold chamber’s 10 original members when it was formed in 1976.
“There were other chambers in the area, and we wanted to have a chamber to promote the city and surrounding area,” he said.
Govero said the group met in various places during its early years, but primarily at the Knights of Columbus, 1623 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold, which is near the site of the 45th anniversary celebration.
He said the chamber used to be a staple at the Arnold Days, which was first organized by the Arnold Jaycees. The chamber also used to decorate light poles around the city during the Christmas season and put out signs welcoming people to Arnold.
Govero said most of those signs were destroyed over the years.
“We put a big sign by the highway that you can’t see any more,” he said. “We sold ads on there so people could put their plaques on for each business. It was north of Hwy. 141 where the Atomic Fireworks store is at.”
Govero said it has been good to see the chamber grow from its original 10 members to today’s 273.
He also said he hopes former, current and prospective chamber members turn out for the party.
“Hopefully, we will get some of the older people who were involved to come and mingle with the chamber and have a good time,” Govero said. “We will celebrate where we are at today.”
More events
The chamber is gearing up to hold some events this year after having to cancel them last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chamber will hold a golf tournament June 18 at the Oak Valley Golf Course and Resort, 1230 Abbey Lane, in Pevely. The four-person scramble has an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
The chamber plans to hold a food drive in August, although details are still being worked out, Starwalt said.
She said the chamber plans to hold a skeet shoot in September, and the group hopes to hold a Trunk or Treat event Oct. 22 at the Fox C-6 School District campus off Jeffco Boulevard in Arnold.
“If everything is still good, we will be having it,” Starwalt said. “It seems like things are going in the right direction with COVID cases going down.”
For more information about the chamber and its events, go to its website, arnoldchamber.org, or Facebook page.