Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. No gifts. Just family, friends and food. And, time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for in our lives. Even in some of my family’s most challenging years, this day always reminds us of what we have instead of what we have lost.
We have a lot to be thankful for as a region and a business community. Here are some of the organizations we give thanks for their work and what they’re about:
It’s about leadership. Our Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation is all about leadership, educating leaders on the issues we face, passing along critical lessons from our past and the values for how we lead in Colorado. Providing scholarships to leaders who otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in these programs is critical to their work, and this year you can support their scholarship fund on Colorado Gives Day. It’s Dec. 8, so mark your calendar to support the Leadership Foundation and other Colorado nonprofits throughout the state.
It’s about taking on big challenges. Each year we recognize a small and large nonprofit of the year at our annual Business Awards. In 2015 we recognized We Don’t Waste and Urban Peak. They are both doing amazing and critical work that highlights how well our nonprofits and private sector work together to have an impact. And, we work to pay it forward to those organizations throughout the year, naming them as beneficiaries at events like our golf tournament and our Net90 holiday party (coming up on Dec. 17). Is your business ready to be in the spotlight? Applications for Business Awards are now open, so spread the word to businesses and nonprofits alike.
It’s about working together. We’ve partnered with The Denver Foundation, Community Solutions, Denver Homeless Out Loud, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, Metro Mayors Caucus, and the state of Colorado on Close to Home to raise awareness about homelessness and start more conversations about the important role we play as a business community on homelessness.
And, it’s about you—our members. We give thanks to each of you for doing business in Colorado. You are putting Coloradans to work every single day, and it changes people’s lives. It provides opportunity. It creates meaning. And, you don’t stop there—you also support the many organizations that make our state great.
Thank you and a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Kelly Brough is president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.