The Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce loves showing their appreciation to their members, and the Chamber is excited to now have an entire month to share our gratitude with our members!

For the entire month of October, the Chamber will be conducting contests on Facebook with 17 prize drawings throughout the month. Winners will be selected at random and will be invited to come to the Chamber to collect their prize. Didn't win one of the daily contests? Keep playing along and sharing your support for local businesses! Those that do not win one of the daily prizes will be entered to win a prize drawing each Friday in the month of October.

Laurie Curtis could say her motto is "Focus on what's strong, not what's wrong." See possibility in any situation. Tips, tools, and techniques to broaden perspective, spot opportunities, and build resources. Have a notebook ready for your personal discoveries!

Does your business need PPE? The KV Chamber has masks and hand sanitizer available for our members! Please contact us at info@kennebecvalleychamber.com or by calling (207) 623-4559 so we can assist you with your needs.

The KV Chamber is excited to offer the 7th UP Biz Tour virtually to students at Cony Middle School! Instead of going on in-person tours of local businesses, students will watch video tours as well as have a chance to ask questions during virtual interviews with a representative from each business. Each student that participates in the Biz Tour will also receive a bag of school supplies and goodies donated by area businesses.

Catie Joyce-Bulay, (509) 366-2500

20+ Years

Atlee Gleaton Eye Care | Augusta Downtown Alliance | Augusta Food Bank | Belgrade Lakes Marine & Storage | Blais Property Management | Maeghan Maloney District Attorney | Maine Isshinryu Karate Academies | Malloy Construction, Inc. | Mill Park Petanque | PGT Public Affairs | Travis Mills Foundation

Amtrak Downeaster has expanded its carry-on bike program and is now accepting bicycles from all Downeaster stations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Newly installed luggage racks that convert to bike racks make it possible to roll bikes on board from any Downeaster station, then secure and store them on the train. Previously, bikes had to be stored in a special car, restricting access to only a few stations. Now, standard full-size bicycles may be carried on at any Downeaster station and stored in the designated racks, as long as the front wheel is removed. Bicycle space is limited to four per train, and a specific bike reservation is required in advance of travel. A nominal bicycle fee applies.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust was recently named a recipient of the Independent Community Bankers of America’s (ICBA) 2020 National Community Bank Service Award for extraordinary efforts to help small businesses, consumers, and their communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 National Community Bank Service Awards, presented by ICBA and sponsored by FIS, generated more than 100 inspirational stories from community banks like Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, whose story is showcased in the September issue of ICBA’s magazine, Independent Banker.

MaineGeneral Health has been named one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Maine. This is the second year in a row that the health system has earned this distinction. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Maine, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. The 2020 Best Places to Work in Maine list is made up of 84 companies in three size categories: small (15-49 U.S. employees), medium (50-249 U.S. employees) and large (250+ U.S. employees).

Quirk Auto Group will be hosting blood drives at their locations in Augusta, Bangor, Belfast, and Portland in partnership with the American Red Cross in memory of Michael G. Quirk. This event will be open to employees, family, friends, and members of the community. Sign up to donate blood or volunteer by clicking the link on the locations below:

SCORE is hosting free webinars for businesses. On October 14th from 9:30 t0 11:00 am, SCORE is holding a Facebook for Business webinar. In this workshop, you will learn tips and tricks to build your network exponentially, create a steady stream of brand-specific content, and how to use Facebook Groups and video content to increase engagement. SCORE is also presenting a 3-part QuickBook Basics for Small Businesses series, which begins on October 19th at 6:00 pm. This course covers program navigation, basic bookkeeping principles, and other accounting functions. For more information and to register for these free webinars, visit oxfordhills.score.org.

To submit Member News, send your press releases to: info@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Quality Inn & Suites Maine Evergreen Hotel

Augusta Civic Center

Walton External Affairs

J.S. McCarthy Printers

Camden National Bank

MaineGeneral Health

Capital Area Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce

Lipman & Katz, P.A.

Sprague & Curtis Real Estate

Ellis Law, LLC

G&E Roofing Co., Inc.

Cross Insurance Agency

Ganneston Construction Corp.

Stained Glass Express

Performance Foodservice - NorthCenter

Macomber, Farr & Whitten

Kennebec Savings Bank

Central Maine Power Company

University of Maine at Augusta

Katie L. Doherty, President & CEO, kld@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Lindsay L. Corbett, Office Manager, llc@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Kayla M. Tracy, Events & Membership Director, kmt@kennebecvalleychamber.com

Caroline A. Saban, Marketing Director, cas@kennebecvalleychamber.com