Every year, the Chamber of Commerce has a Man of the Year and a
Woman of the Year. Guess where they celebrate it? In Hollister at
San Juan Oaks.
“Every year, the Chamber of Commerce has a Man of the Year and a Woman of the Year. Guess where they celebrate it? In Hollister at San Juan Oaks. Isn’t that something? The editor says to spend your money in Gilroy, and the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce goes down to San Juan Oaks. I guess they have never heard of Eagle Ridge. Isn’t that something that they can’t find a place in Gilroy to have their meeting? Thank you.”
& Red Phone: Dear Drawing the Line, What is the world coming to? Gilroy people going to Hollister? For those of you that don’t know, the Chamber held its 56th Annual Citizen and Business Awards Dinner at San Juan Oaks on Feb. 7.
As it turns out, the decision to cross the forbidden southern border into no-mans land had nothing to do with finances. It was a simple matter of trying to find a centralized conference room that could accommodated the 300 people into a banquet area that wasn’t too spread out, said Gilroy Chamber President and CEO Susan Valenta
“Our annual dinner attendance is between 290 and 320 people each year, and we look forward to the time when this event is held in Gilroy,” Valenta said. “We have been working with local facilities in the hope that Gilroy could offer its awards dinner in our own community. Right now, seating capacity remains the challenge.”
The Chamber currently holds many of its functions in Gilroy, and Valenta said she is hopeful the annual dinner can be also held in Gilroy in the future.
“There have been some exciting ideas discussed, and we are optimistic that a beautiful setting, such as the Gilroy Elks Lodge, Eagle Ridge Golf Club, or one of the many other wonderful sites we have in our own backyard, may one day be expanded to their highest and best use,” Valenta said “Unfortunately, there are also many weddings and other organizations that make their way out of Gilroy, and it saddens us that those dollars are not kept local.”
San Juan Oaks waives the room rental for the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, and Eagle Ridge doesn’t charge a rental fee but rather charges by person. The per-person meal fee for each course starts at $29.95 for the basic meal with bread, lettuce and water and increases from there based on the options selected.
