More than 300 local business owners, employees, elected representatives and others attended the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce annual banquet on Friday, Jan. 24, at Centralia College’s TransAlta Commons.

Chamber members enjoyed dinner, drinks, a dessert dash and a silent auction while talking and networking before the chamber announced its annual awards. 

Additionally, a moment of silence was held in honor of the late Chehalis Mayor Pro Tem Daryl Lund, who aside from being a long-serving city councilor also owned multiple businesses and was a long-time chamber board member, attending many events for businesses throughout the Twin Cities.

“Looking around the room I’m reminded of just how amazing our community is,” Chamber Board Chair Coralee Taylor, who is also co-owner and CEO of The Chronicle, said just before beginning the awards ceremony. “This room is full of individuals who are always giving back, and it’s an honor to be part of it.”

The winner of the chamber’s 2024 Business of the Year Award was Cascade Community Healthcare.

“You don’t provide services. You provide health, dignity and healing, and for that we are all deeply grateful,” Taylor said.

The award was accepted by Cascade Community Healthcare CEO Richard Stride along with many of his employees, who he invited on the stage.

“This is really an honor and a privilege because we love Lewis County,” Stride said. “And all of us are touched in one way or another by mental health or substance use disorders. There’s not one of us here that hasn’t been touched by that. It affects us all. It affects our families. It affects our friends, our neighbors.”

Other honors were the Evergreen Award, which went to 20th District state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, and the Chamber Ambassador of the Year Award, which was given to Amanda Woodring-Curry of Sticklin Funeral Home.

The Evergreen Award honors a person or organization for outstanding public service.

Aside from his civic service, Abbarno has been volunteering for more than 20 different nonprofit organizations throughout Lewis County for over a decade along with helping organize the now-annual Lewis County Icicle Brigade Polar Plunge event benefiting Washington Special Olympics.

Other volunteer projects benefiting the community and local nonprofits he kickstarted in Lewis County include the annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive, the Lewis County Law Enforcement Torch Run and the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot.

“It is an honor to receive or be recognized for volunteering and commitment to the community, but that’s not really why we do that,” Abbarno said. “We do it because of all of you. We look around and we see needs, and we see how we want to make our community a better place to live and work.”

He also thanked his wife and family for their support and participation in his many community volunteer projects and events.

Chamber Ambassadors volunteer extra time to go beyond just being a chamber member and help work chamber community outreach events and ribbon-cuttings.

“I don’t have a speech, but I enjoy every minute of spending time down here at the chamber, so I hope to continue that in 2025,” Woodring-Curry said.

Located at 500 NW Chamber of Commerce Way in Chehalis, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce is a local organization dedicated to promoting other local businesses to inform both residents and visitors about the business resources and opportunities available in the Twin Cities area.

The chamber hosts ribbon-cutting events for new businesses, monthly business forums and legislative updates with local state representatives and senators.

To learn more, visit the chamber’s website at https://chamberway.com/ or follow it on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChamberWay.