I started working at the chamber shortly before my first Pasta Party Fundraiser event in 2016. Spaghetti isn't my favorite dish by far, so when I heard that the Chamber holds a Pasta Party event every year, I wasn't quite getting into the reason for all the excitement going on.  You see, every year the chamber holds a fundraiser for scholarships and to offset chamber operating costs.  This event is about 10 years old and has survived multiple changes throughout the years, yet the goal has always remained the same, pasta for scholarships. 
 


                      
As soon as I came into work that day I sensed that it was going to be “different”.  It progressed swiftly: with ticket sales, program updates, and silent auction drop offs.  While the work day went quickly, the real work for the dinner was taking place at our local event center, located at that Holy Cross Abbey. 






I had no idea what the rest of the chamber staff was up to while I was pushing papers back at the office.  Kris,  my Chamber Director, was there to start making her secret spaghetti sauce in the morning.  Now I can’t divulge her secret without some serious repercussions, but I can tell you that it's made with fresh produce and is a favorite family recipe.






I arrived at the event center at noon and started setting up the silent auction items.  I couldn’t believe all the great deals there were! I mean, oh man, you could start your Christmas shopping for half the price if you were smart! Or buy a great date night for a really cheap price!  We had multiple gift baskets, like a Broncos fan basket, a world-class liquor basket, a bookworms basket, a few of pieces of artwork, adventure trips for families, and some superb advertising deals, just to name a few.  I was floored by the varied of items. 






It's hard to believe, but the event ticket cost is only $10.00 AND it includes dinner, scholarship giveaways and musical entertainment.  What?!  Furthermore, I hadn’t fully realized the number of volunteers needed to make an event like this possible.  The chamber is fortunate to have a group of about 15 volunteers known as the Chamber Prospectors.  They come from a cross-section of community leadership backgrounds, such as: businesses owners, directors, CEOs and the local government positions. These volunteers show up and assist with tasks such as cooking, waiting tables and/or washing dishes.  It’s amazing!






Oh and you really cannot forget the sponsors, who support fundraisers like the Pasta Party.  Sponsors are what gives the non-profits the necessary funds to cover the hard costs to help non-profits like the Chamber get events off the ground.  It’s a critical component having the cash flow to pay for some of the goods before the event takes place.  Holy buckets, right?! But here’s the real kicker. This fundraiser helps Fremont students with their college education.  Last year six scholarships, $500 each, enabled these students to attend our local community college, PCC at Fremont Campus.   That’s six lives the Chamber and PCC-Fremont Campus helped boost into a brighter future.  In short, after a productive, but exhausting long day, I found myself surprisingly pleased with myself and a bit wiser for it.






So, the Canon City Chamber's Annual Pasta Party event is here again!  Once again, this event will provide scholarships for our local Fremont County students.  The menu consists of: a special homemade spaghetti recipe, fresh salad, yummy bread sticks, and a delicious choice of dessert either Italian creme cake or Italian rum cake.  Plus, music from some of our local musicians.  Here is a glimpse of just a few of this year's auction items: 2 full page ads and 4 half page ads in the Daily Record (will be auctioned off seperately), two tickets to Mount Princeton for a day at the spa and club, a day trip to the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience, a half day of rafting from Echo Canyon, a night and dinner in Denver, a night in Cripple Creek, a basket full of Party Lite candles and scents, a western basket full of goodies from Way Out West, original art work from some local artists, plus more!

You can purchse your tickets here: http://www.canoncity.com/events/details/pasta-party-14185 
or stop by the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce at 403 Royal Gorge Blvd., Cañon City  /  (719) 275-2331
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