The Newtown Rotary Club and Newtown Chamber of Commerce get together every year around this time to nominate the Newtown Business of the Year. Nominees for this ninth award year certainly are well-run businesses, but the selection is really about dedication to serving those in need with donations of time, money, effort and in-kind services.
The awards ceremony took place last Monday at The Inn at Newtown.
We should all pause to think about charity in our lives and take a moment to thank the nominees for their dedication of time and talent to Newtown clubs and service organizations. There are many more dedicated people than the ones that were nominated for these awards and I sincerely believe that our local small businesses contribute immeasurably to the wonderful community we enjoy here in Newtown.
Thanks to all the nominees and all the silent -- un-nominated ones --businesses, professionals and individuals that dedicate so much to all that is good in Newtown.
As Chamber President, I took great honor offering the nomination speech for . The owner, Eunice Laverty, is a champion dedicated to service that raises everyone's game to a higher level. I was impressed deeply by Tom and Carrie Swan of Black Swan Hearth and Home whose charity runs broad and deep, Jim Marcucilli from Berkshire Motors who focuses on Newtown High School it's students, teachers and sports programs.
The dedication of these businesses to Newtown charities, schools, sports teams, education and service organizations sets a great example for all of us.
My Rotary friends, Larry Gardner of The Alternative Board and Ken Harper of Booth Financial Associates, announced the winnners this year. They were Angelo Marini from Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro and Dr. Della Schmid of Colonial Chiropractic.
I've come to know both Angelo and Della recently and "Wow!" They are both top-shelf individuals that we should love to emulate. I think what makes them special is that they are selfless givers. They've experienced how deeply their lives are enhanced by seeing the value they can bring to others. They are humble enough to ask for help when they need it, and they are deeply grateful for their ability to contribute.
When we started out on the nominaton project with Larry, Ken, and Sharon Maynard from Savings Bank of Danbury, we had a solid list of potential winners. I don't think we had any idea what to expect at the the outset. I am sure we would agree now that meeting and honoring these nominees was a delight and a great break from our normal routine. Shall we do it again next year?
One thing I will conclude is that these folks are the genuine article to me. They're humble and caring and it was a delight to be a small part of the program this year.
Do you think that you could elevate to the same level of charity or is your kind of charity of a different sort? Were the nature of the award or the winners a surprise? Do you think the event served it's purpose? Your opinion counts.
