Thank You – Memorial Day Weekend 2020

 



What better year to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about and why this is a National Holiday every year. I know some of you are saying, “Just what we all need, a holiday from work during which we can spend the day at home - wait, isn’t that what I have been doing every day for the last two months?” The answer to that rhetorical question is an emphatic NO! We’ve been home for two months. Yes, sheltering-in-place and helping to flatten the COVID-19 infection curve, but Monday, Memorial Day, is and should be a day spent differently. Dating back to the Civil War, the country has taken a day, now called Memorial Day, to remember each of those fallen heroes. This is why this day is different from the last 60 days spent at home. 

Memorial Day is set aside so that we, as a Nation, can pause and reflect on the heroes of another time and place, who gave their lives for our right to live in a country that is Free. These last eight weeks have given many, however, a different perspective of Freedom. Consider it this way, partaking in the 2020 Stay Home & Stay Healthy directive is a sacrifice we can all offer for the safety and continued health of everyone around us. This is a reminder to keep those who fought so valiantly for our lives in your mind when you feel overwhelmed with the quarantine order or the challenges that have arisen. 

Many of our families have, or had, a family member who served in the armed forces through the decades. There are also many of those who lost their family member due to the circumstances of war. To those who gave their life in service to America, we remember you. We thank you and your families. And we will never forget. 

 

Our Members Come First 

When you think of the Chamber, you may think about the events thrown, connections made, and the visibility gained simply by hosting your name on our website. But our staff does much, much more for our members, every day. Rolling out in the coming months are plans of tying our community together in unique ways, and ways to amplify how we can support YOU in this new, virtual world.

Just last month, the Chamber connected with Inc. Magazine to share some of the ways our business community is stepping-up and supporting the region. From sharing the local participation of the Chamber's Grow The (360) program to PPE manufacturing at a regional-level, our community is doing some incredible things. Read more about how the Chamber connected an unlikely duo, WellHaven Pet Health and Sweet Spot Skirts, here on Inc.com.
 

 
Chamber Programs:

Wild Wild West Golf Tournament – Monday, June 22 
We’ve hitched our horse to a different wagon, and we’re excited to announce this year’s Annual Golf Tournament, presented by Columbia Bank, will now be hosted at Camas Meadows Golf Course. We’d like to thank everyone who has already registered for this nearly-sold-out event, and to encourage you to check out the program’s webpage for up to date information on how the Chamber will be taking the utmost consideration for the health and safety of the players, sponsors, and staff.
 
Grow The (360) – Certificates now available! 
The Chamber’s community currency program is up and running and we’re thrilled to announce we have over two dozen local businesses redeeming gift certificates! Whether you’re open for curbside pickup now, or preparing for your Phase 2 reopening later, sign up now! This program is a Chamber member benefit, exclusively designed to bring customers right to your door, here at VancouverUSA.com/GrowThe360. 

Lemonade Day Greater Vancouver – Now Online! 
Have some bored, future entrepreneurs learning from home? Sign them up for Lemonopolis, Lemonade Day Greater Vancouver’s online program, created for elementary-aged kids! This program focuses on how to become an entrepreneur, and how to manage finances while doing so. Thank you to our Main Squeeze, presenting sponsor, iQ Credit Union. Squeeze the day, here!

 

Phase 2 – Toolkit for Repoening:

Coming soon we will share with you a comprehensive reopening toolkit for Restaurants, Retail, Lodging, Hospitality, and Financial Industries, featuring information based on Washington State’s guidelines. This toolkit will feature downloadable content to share with customers, guidelines for employees onsite, graphics for visibility, and proper tools for enforcing social distancing. Please stay tuned for this toolkit created by the Association of Washington Business (AWB) Rebound & Recovery Taskforce.  

The Washington Hospitality Association provides tools as restaurants locally are preparing for opening in Phase 2. Of primary concern according to the Hospitality Association is the need to flush the water lines prior to opening. Click through to see an entire pre-opening checklist for restaurants, here. For their Resource Page, follow this link.

 

Attention Manufacturers:

Please complete this form if you are currently manufacturing PPE materials, or if you have the means to do so, to be included in a compiled list of regional manufactures by the AWB. By adding your company to the list you will be able to provide quotes to companies statewide looking for PPE supplies. 

 
And with that, wishing you all a safe and healthy Memorial Day weekend,

John McDonagh 
President/CEO 
Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce 
VancouverUSA.com | VancouverUSA.com/COVID-19