Monthly Edition - May 2, 2023 | |
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Spring is in bloom on Greater Cape Ann! We are excited to welcome our seasonal guests and enjoy the beauty Mother Nature delivers each Spring to our splendid region.
Our Board of Directors and Chamber Team continue to focus on our 2023 priorities including “Connecting Commerce and Community”. Regarding this new initiative, we are working to improve cross promotion of services and events, to enhance cultural initiatives, and to increase our visibility as a place to live, work, visit and play while growing our economy in a responsible and thoughtful way.
Read Full Report
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Tourism Council: Spotlighting May 11 Spring Mixer and Exciting Times Ahead in 2023
Each year, the Spring Tourism Mixer helps usher in the busiest seasons for our visitor-based economy, and that will be the case when we gather on May 11 in Ipswich. The spectacular Crane Estate will be setting for the 2023 Spring Tourism Mixer. “Looking Ahead” is the theme of this year’s Mixer, and the Council will give any member of the Cape Ann’s tourism community an opportunity to share their updates and distribute promotional materials. There will also be plenty of time for networking and tours of the Great House.
Read Full Report
Register for Spring Mixer on May 11
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Health & Wellness Committee
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Gary Rogers, MD, Beverly Hospital
Melanie Choi, PA, Addison Gilbert Hospital
Summer is fast approaching and with it comes more time spent in the sun. A reminder that although the sun has its benefits too much exposure comes with risk. One in five individuals develop skin cancer every year and in many cases skin cancers go undetected. Three of the most common forms of skin cancers are from overexposure to Ultraviolet Lights (UV). Read More
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2023 Publications
Did you know that the Chamber publishes three annual visitor and resident publications that come out in May? That’s right, the 2023 Greater Cape Ann Guide & Directory, Greater Cape Ann Map and Rockport Visitor’s Map & Guide are all complete and due in the middle of May. Please keep an eye out for an announcement from us on when you should come pick them up. Our team works incredibly hard on these pieces and we’re excited to share them with everyone. Stay tuned for updates!
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Route 128 Visitor Kiosk Rack Cards
LimitedSpaces are Left
Don't Miss Out on Promoting Your Business
The Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is taking reservations for our Visitor Kiosk at the Route 128 Service Plaza in North Beverly. This highly visited information site services tens of thousands of visitors travelling onto Cape Ann each year. Our rack card positions are available at the same price as last year and will be honored on a first-come, first-serve paid basis.
Download Reservation Form
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Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Arts & Culture Alliance
Inaugural Meeting Announcement
Wednesday, May 3 | 5 - 6:30 PM
Gloucester Stage Company
Tomorrow is the first official gathering of the newly conceived Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Arts & Culture Alliance. We have had a very good response and over 85 people have registered to date.
We invite artists, arts and culture leaders, creative businesses, gig workers, and non-arts business leaders who want to connect with the Cape Ann creative community. We define “culture” broadly to include maritime heritage, which has always had close alignments with the arts on Cape Ann.
Download Flyer | Learn More & RSVP
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Weekday Volunteers needed at Gloucester Chamber Office
Do you or someone you know have a few spare hours to fill by giving back to the Greater Cape Ann community? If so, the Chamber is seeking volunteers to help out on weekdays during the winter months. Meet visitors, from around the world, help answer phones, assist with office tasks, and have a fun time with a great team. To learn more, please email Cherl!
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Get into the Spring Spirit | | |
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2nd Annual WellFest
Saturday, May 20 | 11 AM - 2 PM
Harvey Park, Rockport MA
WellFest is an event that will promote the broad range of health and wellness services that are right here on greater Cape Ann. This unique event was a big success in 2022 and we’re excited to continue this community experience in a new venue, the beautiful coastal community of Rockport.
Visit the Chamber Calendar for a complete list of participating vendors.
Also, thank you to our sponsors:
Action, Inc., Addison Gilbert Hospital, Cape Ann Savings Bank, Cape Ann YMCA, Beauport Hearing Care, Bonneville Design, and SeniorCare Inc.
Spring in Rockport
Saturday, May 20 | All Day Long
Join us in Rockport to celebrate the start of Spring. From a plant sale to a trail race to the 31st Annual EMS Day to Cape Ann Plein Air Motif No. 1 Paint-out (and more), it is going to be a day full of activities for all ages. In addition, many local shops and restaurants will be offering Rockport-themed specials. Visit RockportUSA.com to see a full schedule of events.
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Spring into Essex: Essex in Bloom
May 19 - 21
The Town of Essex and the Essex business community are welcoming people Downtown to see Essex in Bloom! There will be dining, shop hopping, entertainment, art installations, games, and more.
Get Involved: Essex would love to have your business involved with activities this weekend. A few ideas from businesses on how they might be involved have been:
- Tastings: wine, beer, mead, etc.
- Cooking demos
- Store display
Please fill out this form with information about how your business can be involved. (This information can be updated later on.)
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Cape Ann License Plate Auction
The Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) Low Number License Plate Auction was a big success this past month and exceeded our expectations. Ten low number plates were purchased, including #2! Thank you for your continued support! With our 2023 grant cycle, the CACF will have given over $100,000 back to Cape Ann non-profits and schools since our inception in 2015! An exciting milestone we are eager to celebrate.
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Business After Hours Local Colors
What a great turnout out at the April 20 Business After Hours at Local Colors. Thank you to Local Colors Artists' Collective for hosting a fun evening and Minglewood Harborside for providing delicious appetizers. If you haven't been to Local Colors, check out the photo album for a sampling of what you are missing out on. View Photos
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Building Inclusive Non-Profit Organizations
Last week the Chamber’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) committee and Rockport Music/Shalin Liu welcomed Cape Ann non-profits to a session on Building Inclusive Non-Profit Organizations. Erina McWilliam-Lopez, Executive Director of the Cape Ann YMCA, gave an insightful presentation on the foundation for inclusion and bias. Jean McCartin, Association Director of Inclusion for the YMCA of the North Shore, gave an overview of the role of Inclusion Specialists at the YMCA and inclusion in the context of the North Shore YMCA. The session ended with a facilitated small group discussion led by Toni Waldron, Educator and Community Justice Organizer. View Slide Deck
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ECCF: Essex County Racial Equity Leaders Learning Circle
The Essex County Racial Equity Leaders Learning Circle (EC-RELC for short) is an opportunity for a cohort of about 10 Essex County nonprofits to participate in a shared learning experience designed to support individual and organizational racial equity practice as well as pathways towards more diverse, inclusive, and racially equitable organizations. Over the course of seven months, participating organizations will have the opportunity to go deeper on key racial equity concepts and content and apply this learning real-time through the development and beginning implementation of action plans. Learn More and Apply
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Seaside Sustainability Internship Program
During the summer 2023 season, Seaside Sustainability will introduce an in-person initiative as an extension of their Marine Science and Education team. The internship program will be local to the Gloucester, Massachusetts location, so all applicants should be located within 30 minutes of headquarters to be considered, as housing and transportation cannot be provided. The program currently runs for three months from June 1 to September 15, 2023, with an opportunity to extend involvement. We are currently searching for a wonderful group of interns that would come on board with us. Learn More | Apply Online
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Volunteer at the Institution for Savings’ Credit for Life Fair on May 23
The Institution for Savings invites area professionals to volunteer at the 13th Annual Credit for Life Fair at Masconomet Regional High School on Tuesday, May 23 from 9:30am-11:30am. This annual event hosts 1,000 high school juniors from across the North Shore as they play the roles of 25-year-old adults and ‘spend’ their monthly ‘salaries’ on everything they need. Volunteers will staff booths as part of the students’ journey to manage everything from housing, furniture and utilities to lifestyle, transportation, wellness and more. Check out last year’s video to learn more.
Join Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Buckley as a volunteer at this fun and interactive event. Make it a teambuilding opportunity and recruit a colleague or group from your business to volunteer. Contact mclancy@ifs.bank to sign up or learn more.
Participating high schools: Amesbury, Newburyport, Triton, Pentucket, Ipswich, Hamilton-Wenham, Georgetown, Manchester-Essex, Masconomet, Beverly, Swampscott, Gloucester, and Rockport High Schools.
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Mentors Sought for Fall 2023
Wellspring and Gloucester High School (GHS) are searching for community members and young professionals who are interested in sharing their life, education and career experience as mentors to rising GHS juniors and seniors. As a mentor in the Gloucester Mentor Project, mentors work one-to-one with GHS students to help them plan for post-secondary career and education plans, sharing your valuable tips, best practices and advice along the way.
Beginning in Fall 2023, students will be paired with mentors, and they'll meet once per week on Zoom/in-person to discuss opportunities and help them set action steps to reach their goals. Anyone who is interested can email Mary Hardwick, Community Liaison, at MHardwick@wellspringhouse.org for more information, or fill out Wellspring's Volunteer Inquiry Form.
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| Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) awards up to $25,000 to various organizations to fund workplace safety training. Eligible employers within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts covered by the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Law (MGL CH. 152) may qualify for funding. | | Cape Ann Works: Keep up to date with Cape Ann Works events and announcements on the Chamber website and post jobs or search candidates at capeannworks.com. | | The Workforce Training Fund Express Program is designed to help businesses respond quickly to change and keep employees engaged. With bite-size grants for just-in-time training and no waiting periods between grants, Express is our fastest path to funding, enhanced with an even more flexible directory of training options and 6 quick steps to success: | | Please check the Business Resources Category in Chamber Blog for Business Resources available to the Cape Ann region! | | | |
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Continuing Hot Deals
Local Sales, Discounts & Promotions
Posting a Shop Our Member deal is a great way to gain exposure for your business by highlighting your special promotions. Take advantage of this FREE member benefit and list yours today by logging into your account!
*Contact Sam if you need assistance
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We extend a big thank you to our supporting sponsors.
If you are interested in promoting with the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and sponsoring this newsletter, please contact Steve Buckley at steve@capeannchamber.com
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