The Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce is beginning to pick up where it left off after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In addition to suspending most events and activities after the pandemic began, the executive director resigned at the beginning of the year.
“When we (the executive board) took over in January, the chamber’s future was pretty bleak,” board treasurer Jarred Jones said. “We lost our executive director, and we literally had no money in the account. In the past 5 months, we’ve established the account. We have more than $70,000 in there now.”
The chamber board has been working hard to recruit new members and maintain current ones. It also raised funds by selling advertising on golf score cards and providing them to the golf course. The chamber bucks system also has been reorganized.
Now that the funding has been established, the chamber can begin hosting its regular events. The monthly Community Coffee meetings began again earlier this year. The chamber’s agriculture committee also hosted its annual livestock show, which Jones said was one of the biggest and most profitable yet.
The ever-popular Route 66 Nights also will be returning soon. Jones said they will alternate between Friday and Saturday evenings to ensure everyone interested has a chance to participate.
Pork-A-Palooza will return August 13 and 14 at SWOSU. Jones said there already are teams from five different states signed up for the competition.
The annual chamber banquet has been scheduled for the fall. A Weatherford Dancing with the Stars event also is planned for later this year.
Jones said the executive board has a great mix of young and eager people as well as seasoned veterans who are excited about what is happening in Weatherford.
“There are lots of things going on at the chamber, lots of positive stuff,” he said. “Within 2 years, we are going to have the most vibrant chamber in Oklahoma.”
Jones also said the chamber is financially stable enough for the executive board to begin the search for a new director and a job listing with benefits will be available soon.