Members’ Night Out proves ‘a huge success’

About 300 people — many dressed as if they’d just stepped from a 1970s time machine — turned out Saturday night at The Rink for the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce’s first Members’ Night Out, a combination of past years’ membership banquet and the popular Evviva fundraising event.

Set to a theme of “Saturday Night Fever,” the evening included award recognition to six recipients, fundraising of $32,000, a dinner buffet and cocktail hour by Cinco’s, and background music from the disco era.

So was it a good choice to combine the two events into one? “We believe so,” decided Marty Green, executive director for the chamber. “This was a combination of a Carl Albert [State College] event, a Poteau chamber event and Ducks Unlimited. This was kind of a hybrid of those three different things that our committee had been to and seen.

“We thought it was just a huge success. It went way beyond what I had even hoped for. We had people telling us it was going to be like this, but I had to see it first,” Green said.

“We just give credit to the committee that helped put it together and all the people who volunteered. Our committee worked extremely hard on that since last September. It was a culmination of many, many hours. I bet, decoration-wise, there was 200 man hours in just decorating that facility down there, maybe more than that.

“And, of course, without the membership coming and attending, it would have been a bust. People giving gifts to the auction and supporting the auction, all that depended on our membership.

“I was just blown away,” Green admits. “The crowd and people really seemed to enjoy that. Again, our committee was telling us, this is what we’re hearing, this is what we think, and so we went with it and just trusted. It was a leap of faith, and it worked well. They’re already making plans for next year.

“There are a couple of things we’re going to do different next year. They’re already talking about a theme for next year. Now that we’ve done it, we know at least a footprint of how we should do it, where we need to make a couple of minor changes and off we go.”

The “Saturday Night Fever” theme was the first time for attendees to be encouraged to dress accordingly and participate, and Green was happy with the results. “We never had dressed up and I think people really responded, and I think you’ll see even more next year.” While the theme was a first for the chamber, so was the amount of money raised. With the blend of the Evviva fundraising event and the chamber banquet, a record amount north of $45,000 was raised for the chamber — $29,700 from the live auction, and an additional $2,300 from post-auction donations, plus $5,200 from the “Pick of the Litter” card game, $5,050 for the poker chip game (for the Louis Vuitton purse) and a still-undetermined amount for the poker chip game (for the pistol). Auctioneer Tommy Wright conducted the live auction, which garnered wide participation and compelling bidding.

Overall, including revenue from table sponsorships in addition to the fundraising total, the chamber expects to gross “close to $70,000,” Green projects, but is quick to point out that “there was a lot of cost involved, as well.”

In annual awards presentations:

• True Family Rentals was named Rookie of the Year.

True Family Rentals was established in May 2020 by Elijah and Tyler True at their home near the Hanson community. The business started as a handyman service and inflatables, and quickly grew to include equipment rentals. The couple then purchased and remodeled the old Caughman store in the Brushy community.

The business has been instrumental in the development of the Children’s Zone for Downtown Diamond Daze. True Family Rentals has represented the chamber the past two years at the Sallisaw Lion’s Club Rodeo and Back-to-School Roundup, providing inflatables enjoyed by more than 800 kids.

• Rick Nicholson, owner of A-OK Printing, was named the chamber’s Volunteer of the Year.

Wayne Nicholson opened a small printing company in 1982 to provide quality quickprinting services at an affordable price to Sallisaw and the surrounding area. Over the years, he taught his son, Rick, the value of hard work through the complexities of surviving as a small business in a growing corporate atmosphere.

More than 40 years since the business first opened its doors, A-OK Printing continues to serve the community, and Rick exhibits the same passion his father had when the business started decades ago. A-OK Printing provides professional printing services, as well as graphic design, banners, signs, vehicle lettering and magnetic signs.

• Todd Martin, owner of Agent & Mallory-Martin Funeral Home, was recipient of the Chuck Sainer Community Spirit Award.

A native of Stigler and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Martin moved to Sallisaw when he purchased Wheeler Funeral Home in 1999, and merged with Agent Funeral Home in 2011.

While living in Sallisaw, Martin has been involved in the chamber for the past 20 years and a member of the Lion’s Club. He is a past board member for the Sallisaw Youth and Recreation Committee, and the Boys and Girls Club of Sequoyah County, and a past member of the Carl Albert Advisory Board. He serves on the board for the Northeastern Health Systems Sequoyah as well as People Inc., and is a founding member of the Sallisaw Black Diamond Foundation. He is a dual member at Masonic Lodges in Stigler and Spiro, and a member of Bedouin Shrine and Royal Court of Jesters at the Muskogee Masonic Temple.

• Gary Schaefer, owner of Schaefer Insurance Company, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Schaefer moved to Sallisaw after graduating from Muldrow, where he joined his aunt in the insurance business. After more than 40 years, he is the most senior member of the Sallisaw Lion’s Club. He has served two terms as chamber president and was a long-standing chamber board member. He has also served more than 40 years as a member of the Sallisaw Improvement Corporation, and has been a member of the Sallisaw Airport Advisory Board for 17 years. He served 18 years on the Carl Albert State College board and seven years on the ICTC Scholarship Foundation. He was a founding member of the Maple Fire Department and for the past 27 years has served on its board.

• The City of Sallisaw Electric, Parks and Streets departments, which consist of 29 employees who work year-round for the betterment of the community, were named Chamber Member of the Year.

The electric department maintains 100 miles of distribution lines, performing routine maintenance, replacing broken poles and trimming trees away from electrical lines.

The parks department maintains all public parks and rights-of-way within the city limits, including mowing, weed trimming, repairing playground equipment, parks maintenance, city facilities repairs and assisting with many public events held in the city.

The street department maintains more than 155 miles of city roadways, including cleaning ditches, repairing potholes, replacing drainage pipe and working on bridges within the city limits.

Other Chamber Member of the Year candidates were A-OK Printing Company, Akins Store, Blue Ribbon Auto Group, Charlie’s Chicken, Crowe Properties (Larry Crowe), KXMX “The Mix,” MGS Construction, McDonalds of Sallisaw, Merrill Bonding & Storage (Raymond Merrill) and Sallisaw Pastors’ Fellowship.

• Treye Girdner of Local Bank, out-going president of the chamber, was presented the George Glenn Memorial President’s Award.

Girdner was awarded for his service to the chamber during 2022. Nikki Garrett of National Bank of Sallisaw is the incoming president for 2023.

Girdner also honored the memory of Glenda Callahan, a former chamber board member and community leader who was involved in several civic organizations. She dedicated more than 30 years of her professional life to serving her customers and the Sallisaw community through National Bank of Sallisaw.

“She devoted countless hours volunteering and serving her community which she loved so much,” Girdner said of Callahan. “Glenda had a way with people, and never met a stranger. People were drawn to her, her upbeat and bubbly personality, her smile that could light up a room when she entered and her empathy for people.

“Glenda had a big heart and a love for people and our community. She was a beautiful person on the inside and out, and was a true pillar of this community,” Girdner said. “She was loved by all who knew her, and she will truly be missed.”

Those serving on the Members’ Night Out committee were Marley Abell, Robin Akers, Carol Brown, Crowe Investment Companies, Amy Edwards, Evelyn Farris, Nikki Garrett, Treye Girdner, Marty Green, Jaime Henson, Tyler Knoke, Tami Martin, Beth Mayo, Michelle Mings, Rhonda Nicholson, Zack Schaefer and Jeremy Victory.