Peters Township chamber launches fundraising MOVE-a-thon

Weather conditions had turned 180 degrees, if you will, since the most recent opportunity for Peters Township Chamber of Commerce members to gather in person.
“This is the first time we’ve had a networking event face-to-face since February,” Kelley Keane, chamber operations coordinator, said Wednesday in the shade of the Shelter 4 pavilion at Peterswood Park. “The members are excited to be out and about.”
The occasion was the kickoff event for the chamber’s inaugural MOVE-a-thon fundraiser, and plenty of folks braved a bit of heat for the opportunity to visit with one another in a safe environment.
Under normal circumstances, the chamber hosts two events to raise money primarily for its scholarship fund, a bowl-a-thon in the spring and the 5K Chamber Chase along the Arrowhead Trail in the fall.
“Unfortunately, due to circumstances, we were forced to cancel them. So we pivoted and created the MOVE-a-thon, which is a hybrid of those events and much more,” Keane explained. “It allows you to get out and move, and moving means anything. You can mow your grass. You can ride your bike. You can shop.
“You want to have fun.”
Through pledges, participants can rack up their miles – or yardage, at least – on the way toward helping the cause. As they do so, they are encouraged to take photos for posting on social media, with raffle prizes offered in various categories, including most creative and, of course, funniest.
If the enthusiasm displayed at the kickoff event is any indication, the MOVE-a-thon should do well.
“We’re looking forward to planning some more as we go,” Keane said about the in-person gathering, “but we do have a lot of virtual events coming up throughout the fall.”
Among them are a webinar, “Managing Stress and Improving Well Being During Difficult Times,” scheduled for 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 18, and the chamber’s monthly “Virtual Mob” mixer at the same time of the morning Aug. 25.
The chamber has a Facebook community support page that serves as a way for members to provide information about their businesses as they navigate the limitations caused by COVID-19.
“We never had a lull. We pivoted to virtual immediately in March and continued our community updates and virtual networking,” Keane said. “We are glad to be a resource.”
Brian Schill, chamber executive director, is coming up with a “hybrid” approach for events, combining in-person and virtual elements.
“Zoom works great for some people, and one of the things that makes it nice is you don’t have to worry about traveling,” he said while greeting MOVE-a-thon kickoff guests. “But you do miss the human interaction. That’s why these types of events interspersed would be great to have every once in a while.”
For more information, visit www.peterstownshipchamber.com.

Harry Funk/The Almanac
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Those in attendance at the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce’s MOVE-a-thon Kickoff include Geron Oakley, Mike Skubovius, Barry Rack, Cindy Rack, Cindy Saunders, Ben Meyer, Kelley Keane and Cheryl Adams.