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Chamber seeks golfers, sponsors for tournament

3 min read
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By CHUCK BALLARO

news@breezenewspapers.com

The North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce is working on a month-to-month basis in regards to the pandemic.

While it is continuing many of its basic services, its fundraising and monthly events have been put on the back burner.

There is one exception.

The hope is that the Chamber’s largest fundraiser, the Calvin Peete Classic, will go on as planned on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Del Tura Golf & Country Club.

Plans for the golf tournament are in full swing. Lee County Insurance is the main sponsor for the fourth-annual event, and Pepper Peete, the widow of Calvin Peete, and their daughters are scheduled to play, according to Wendy Murray, executive director of the Chamber.

Last year the family members couldn’t make it after the tournament was rained out and were unavailable for the rain date.

Murray said they are still looking for golfers and sponsors for the event.

For more information, call 997-9111 or visit www.nfmchamber.org, their Facebook page or the tournament site at www.calvinpeeteclassic.com

Also still in the queue is a virtual candidate forum to be held over several days in September.

Murray said this wasn’t the right time to hold live events that bring many people together in an indoor location.

“We’re cancelling things until people feel safer coming out,” Murray said. “We hope to open the welcome center in October, though we have offered the civic association the office this month, since the rec center is still closed.”

That joint meeting took place Tuesday. The civic association and the Chamber will get together this week to iron out the details for the candidate forum, which they are co-sponsoring.

Meanwhile, the business leaders luncheon, after hours and breakfast networking events have been cancelled for August, as was the reopening of the Chamber office at the Shell Factory and the Celebrity Waiters fundraiser, which was to be held this past week.

Murray said that doesn’t mean the monthly events are cancelled indefinitely. They are looking month by month to when they believe it will be safe for in-person events.

“We thought we would be back to business by now. I did not anticipate not having the welcome center open, but it’s the right thing to do,” Murray said.

In the meantime, Murray said things have been going OK at the Chamber.

“We’re doing well. Our renewals are on track and we’re picking up a few businesses as they realize what the Chamber can do for them in this difficult time,” Murray said.