Peachtree – The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Member Dinner Meeting was held Thursday night in the beautiful McGuire’s Millrace Farm.
The highlight was when the chamber announced its major award winners for 2022.
Citizen of the Year: Cecilia Crawford-Faulker, director of Reach of Cherokee County Inc. and president of the Rotary Club of Murphy.
“This person and her staff are tremendous assets to our community,” said chamber board member Kathryn Jenkins, the night’s emcee, who also passed out a number of nice raffle items. “She leads the efforts in helping domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Cherokee County, operating a shelter where abused and battered women can go to seek refuge from their abusers.
“They do so much more than many people are aware of, such as providing personal items to those in need and experiencing homelessness. She has made it possible to provide fans, air-conditioners and smoke detectors. This person also volunteers countless hours, giving back to the community.”
All Crawford-Faulker managed to say in her surprised response was, “There are so many people more deserving. All the credit goes to my staff and the community.”
Business of the Year: The Cable Company of Peachtree, with owner David Daniel.
“This company has become a major player in providing much needed utilities to the county,” Jenkins said. “Their sales have tripled in the last seven years. Customer reviews have praised this business, particularly with respect to customer service. And, also notable, their employees say they love where they work.
“This business is a major supporter of Rotary events, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the chamber and more. The owner is continuously reaching out to community leaders to ask what kind of needs exist for Cherokee County so that he can help and or donate. He has donated so much to local food banks and civic organizations, without asking for a bit of credit for his good deeds.”
Organizations of the Year: The Cherokee County Anti-Litter In Action Coalition, with volunteers David Mackey and Kimberly Mackey; and High Lonesome Therapeutic Equestrian Center, with owner Lauren Dilts.
“The first organization picked up where Gary Chamberlain left off and has made a tremendous impact on cleaning up Cherokee County,” Jenkins said. “Their goal is to find volunteers in each district, have events throughout the year to pick up trash on our roadsides and tackle the litter problem. So much litter has been removed from our roadways due to their commitment and volunteering to deal with the dirty stuff.”
The award for the second organization was presented by chamber board member Kim Johnson, who has a very personal reason to support the winner due to her daughter, Emma, who was born with a seizure disorder. At only 15 months old, she had brain surgery to remove the whole right-side portion of her brain, and still suffers from left-side weakness.
“She is now 17, and for years we have been her advocate for therapy and researching things to help her with her disabilities,” Johnson said. “We were super excited when we heard of High Lonesome. In January, Emma had her first lesson. It took about 15 minutes to get her on Alfredo (the horse). Lauren was so patient and encouraging, but got her up there as I stood at the fence line, sobbing.
“When I asked her if she wanted to go back, she could not wait – every weekend she is ready to go. She has gone from just riding to trotting to, as of three weeks ago, no horse handler to controlling the horse by herself. It is truly amazing.”
The evening began with networking featuring hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, followed by a dinner of bruschetta chicken and pulled pork to complement the summer casual style of the night. Honors were handed out afterward, starting with Dennis Myers of Industrial Opportunities Inc. announcing the annual Disability Awareness Awards.
The guest speaker – Jacqueline Egli of Bellview, an exceptional children’s teacher – got everyone out of their seats. For details on the chamber, visit cherokeecountychamber.com or call 837-2242.