Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, February 22, 2024. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
It was a Bonnie evening, celebrating the Chamber.
“We had our annual Chamber meeting on Wednesday, January 31, and it was held at the Spring Valley VFW. We had Ody’s Country Meats and Catering cater our dinner, we played Spring Valley Trivia hosted by Megan Hammon, and we presented our Volunteer of the Year Award to Bonnie Hammon, as she’s such an asset to our community! It was a great night of fun and reflecting on our year,” recounted Spring Valley Area Chamber of Commerce President Angie Gensmer, outlining how the local commercial marketing organization rounded out its year and began a new one promoting Spring Valley area businesses and events.
The Chamber’s members honored the lady who’s most likely to be seen behind the wheel of a bus, former Head Start bus driver and current Rolling Hills Transit driver Bonnie Hammon, whose daughter, Stacey Rath, told an audience during a previous awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing Rath, “There are young kids who call her ‘Bonnie Bus’ and the so-many people who always tell me how awesome of a lady she is, and to this day, kids still call her ‘Grandma Bonnie.’ I have a pretty awesome mom, and she has taught us all to be better people.”
Hammon is known for her willingness to help her community thrive, as are the members of the Spring Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, including Gensmer as president and treasurer of the Chamber, vice president Greg Brooks, secretary Tyler Anderson, and board members Alicia O’Connell, Cody Koebke, Kerin Rath and Wendy Betts. The group’s mission is to promote and support local businesses. The Chamber’s website stated, “The Spring Valley Area Chamber of Commerce has been advancing the agricultural, commercial, industrial and civic interests of the Spring Valley area since 1951. Our members work together to promote local businesses, help recruit and retain business and industry, attract visitors to the area and use our combined efforts to improve the quality of life in the community.”
The website’s narrative continued, “The Chamber promotes its membership with ribbon-cuttings for our newest businesses in town.” Recent ribbon-cutting ceremonies have included those at Smoking Guns Smoke shop, Bluff Brothers Brewery, The Broadway Hive, Serenity Salon Hair by Karly and Sweet Serenity, @ The Car Wash, Midwest Liquidation, LLC, and more. The website cited, “Throughout the year, there are many special events that promote the Spring Valley area and opportunities for businesses to grow their networks. The Chamber has sponsored and promoted events and organizations such as Spring Valley Business After Hours, Spring Valley Ag Days, Wednesdays on Broadway, the annual Easter egg hunt, Spring Valley Business Alliance (SVBA), and Christmas on Historic Broadway. These events and organizations get businesses involved with the community.”
For more information on the Spring Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, log onto the website at www.springvalleychamberofcommerce.com.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
