10th-annual Ambassador Club Burger Bash back to normal
STEUBENVILLE — Even though the Jefferson County Chamber Ambassador Club’s annual Burger Bash was held last year, it just wasn’t the same with COVID restrictions.
Wednesday, the event was back for a 10th year and in all of its glory.
“We still had it last year, but it was just odd,” Patricia Maple-Damewood, president of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, said.
“To be back after a year of COVID, to be able to have everybody here and be able to gather and have some fun, it’s exciting.”
“It’s a really cool event that goes way, way back. It celebrates all of the chamber members.
“The weather is perfect; we have tons of volunteers. The ambassador club does almost all the work and we have some great people that donate.”
The bash is held as a fundraiser for the Anita Jackson Scholarship Fund.
It is also a good opportunity for chamber members to interact and those considering joining the chamber to get a taste of what the chamber is all about in an informal setting.
“It is probably the chamber’s most casual event, but it is really what the chamber is all about,” she said. “Just meeting, networking and connecting with fellow business people.
“A lot of times people thinking about joining the chamber will come, or somebody that is a friend of the chamber, or a friend of Anita Jackson — she was a big powerhouse behind the burger bash turning into what it has turned in to — will come. It’s a nice night to have a toast to Anita and gather, have some fun and not take anything too seriously.”
Maple-Damewood wants those considering it to know that the chamber members do have a good time interacting.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about chambers of commerce across the country is that they are stuffy … in our area, anyway, that’s just not the case,” Maple-Damewood said. “We work hard to not have stuffy events and let people laugh and stand up and talk about their business.
“It might sound cheesy, but connecting with other people is what helps a business grow.”
Food was provided by Desporado Dogs, who were serving up a variety of different specialty burgers and hot dogs to attendees.
There were also beverages, though perhaps the highlight was an eight-team corn hole tournament.
There were several door prizes donated by sponsors, including a large screen TV.
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