The Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce held the annual awards dinner dance on Saturday, April 2 at the Britain Hill Venue and Vineyard. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Oxford Chamber honored the Business of the Year, the Organization of the Year, and the Citizen of the Year. This chamber surprises the recipients with these awards.

Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce president Dennis McCartney, of Landhope Farms, served as the master of ceremonies. He welcomed guests and praised them for the grit and determination needed during the past two years as all businesses worked through the ever-changing regulations and restrictions related to the pandemic.  He recalled the early days of the pandemic, when hard- to-find items included hand sanitizer, masks, and plexiglass screens. After two difficult years, the awards dinner was a night to celebrate the award recipients and the Oxford community.

David Trainor, who nominated the Oxford Lions Club for the Organization of the Year Award, led the presentation as he talked about the decades of service this organization has provided to the community.  He said, “The pandemic certainly did not slow this group down.”  

Mike Baker, the president of the Oxford Lions Club, accepted the award on behalf of the entire organization.

Next, Tamaira Jones, an employee of Fitchett Chiropractic, shared how the culture at Fitchett Chiropractic is to help everyone who comes to them—to help each person feel better through chiropractic treatment, and to help the Oxford community as a whole through the many donations to various community initiatives. The business supports many nonprofits and animal welfare groups and provides sponsorships of community events. Fitchett Chiropractic also is a big contributor to the Oxford Police Department’s toy drive. Drs. Jenna Fitchett Ennis and Mike Fitchett accepted the award of Business of the Year as many of their employees looked on.

Chelsea Hughes, the administrative assistant at the Oxford Area Foundation shared her admiration for Citizen of the Year recipient, Nancy Ware Sapp.  Nancy is not only president of the Oxford Area Foundation that supports many local nonprofit organizations, she also has opened two businesses downtown. She is also renovating a historic home into a third business and she recently worked to preserve over 500 acres in the Oxford area that is being transformed into the Glenroy Preserve.  Nancy received a standing ovation as she accepted the award.

State Representative John Lawrence and County Commissioner Josh Maxwell graciously presented each award recipient with citations, and spoke about their impact in our community.

The evening continued with dinner and dancing.  Additional information on each recipient can be found in the upcoming issue of The Oxfordian magazine, which is due out on April 8.  An online version can be found at https://oxfordpa.org/oxfordian.