December 11, 2009

A glorious winter sun shone brightly on the 58th annual Rochester Hometown Christmas Parade.  Held on Sunday December 6th, and presented by the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce and local sponsors, the parade is the highlight of a day filled with family fun and community spirit.  Lifetime Rochester resident and Director of the Rochester Community House, Mary Lee Kowalczyk,  served as Parade Marshall and led the bands, marchers, clowns and floats through downtown Rochester.  

The 2009 parade's theme was the popular holiday song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and the day's entries reflected the song’s lyrics unusual list of gifts and their creators’ abundant imagination. A panel of judges spent the bright, cold morning before the parade determining which entries deserved special recognition.
 
Adult Float
1st Place –Rochester Area Neighborhood House
2nd Place – Rochester Lions Club and Leader Dogs for the Blind
3rd Place – Oakland Township Historical Society
 
Business/Industry Float
1st Place – Royal Park Hotel
2nd Place – Bloomingdale Construction
3rd Place – Art Van Furniture
 
Youth Float
1st Place – Baldwin Cub Scout Pack #106
2nd Place – Macomb County 4-H Midnight Riders Club
3rd Place – Cub Scout Pack 356 St. John Lutheran School

Clowns
1st Place – Rochester Fire Department
 
Marchers
1st Place – Michigan Ballet Theatre
2nd Place – Canine Academy
3rd Place – Rochester Area Jaycees
 
Drill Team
1st Place – Crittenton Hospital Medical Center
2nd Place – Rochester Hills Public Library
3rd Place – Rochester Adams Cheer Teams
 
Novelty
1st Place – Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve
2nd Place – One Wheel Elves
3rd Place – Famous Dave’s BBQ

Grand Marshal Award
Rochester Area Neighborhood House

WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 Detroit shared the event’s excitement with the approximately 115,000 metro Detroiters tuned in to the broadcast.  Local cable broadcast station Community Media Network also filmed the parade.  This recording can be seen on viewers’ local cable stations and DVDs of this recording can be purchased for $15 at the Chamber office.

 “We couldn’t put on this parade without the support of our sponsors, volunteers, participants and spectators,” explains Sheri Heiney, the chamber’s executive director, “We would like to especially thank all the city, police, sheriff and fire officials that give the parade their assistance and time.  We just couldn’t do this without all of them!”

The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is Oakland County’s largest chamber and was awarded the 2008 Michigan’s Outstanding Chamber award and winner of the 2009 Automation Alley Non-profit of the Year Award.  The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce thanks their partners Oakland University, Crittenton Hospital, Bill Fox Chevrolet, Shelton Pontiac Buick GMC, Walmart, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for their support. 

The Mission of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is to provide leadership and resources in order to advance business development in partnership with civic, cultural, and educational interests for the benefit of its members and the community.

June 12, 2009 

February 26, 2009                      

Rochester Chamber Launches Targeted Buy Local Initiative

ROCHESTER, MI – The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of the shopLocal buyChamber program.  This program is part of a larger community awareness campaign by the Chamber focused on educating the greater Rochester area on the positive economic benefits associated with shopping and buying goods and services locally from Chamber members.

Chamber Executive Director Sheri Heiney said, “The shopLocal buyChamber program pays a dividend directly to our community.  It gives participating Chamber members an opportunity to continually reach potential customers with their valuable discount offer.  For anyone interested in saving money all they need to do is show the program’s “Connect & Save” card to a participating Chamber member. It is that simple.  The Rochester Regional Chamber’s goal is to have all of our members involved in the shopLocal buyChamber program.”

When a buyer uses the shopLocal buyChamber program it creates and maintains community jobs that provide the financial bedrock for the Rochester area.  Shopping locally and buying from these members generates sales tax revenue and keeps dollars in the city where consumers live, work and do business.

The current economic market trend shows buyers are turning to coupons to save money.  They are also becoming aware that it saves time and energy when you buy locally from a Chamber member who cares and is committed to customer satisfaction and growing the community. When you factor in the cost of gas into the price of a good or service the shopLocal buyChamber program becomes not only a cost-effective decision but also a green one!

The shopLocal buyChamber discount card will be available at the Chamber office located at 71 Walnut, Suite 110, the corner of First and Walnut streets in downtown Rochester.  A temporary card can be downloaded from the Chamber’s website at www.rrc-mi.com. It will also be available at area locations and in community newspapers.  Current discount offers for the program can also be found on the website.  New discount offers will be updated frequently.  Anyone interested in joining the program or for more details contact the Chamber
at 248-651-6700.

The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is Oakland County’s largest chamber and was awarded the 2008 Michigan’s Outstanding Chamber award.  They thank their partners Oakland University, Crittenton Hospital, Bill Fox Chevrolet, and Shelton Pontiac Buick GMC, Trent Design, C&G Newspapers and the Rochester Post for their support of the shopLocal buyChamber program. 

The Mission of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce is to provide leadership and resources in order to advance business development in partnership with civic, cultural and educational interests for the benefit of its members and the community.