Huzzah! 2026 Annual Meeting & Banquet Wrap-up
The Sanford-Springvale Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual meeting and banquet recently with nearly seventy members in attendance. The evening’s theme was ‘The Renaissance’, focused on the rebirth and forward progress that the Chamber has experienced in the last year, as well as the economic growth that its businesses are seeing.
“Sanford is priming itself for increased growth in the near future including work on our infrastructure with the three-year RAISE grant that the city is managing. We have new housing developments for a variety of economic classes being built, as well as grants and revolving credits that our downtown business owners can take advantage of for improvements and growth. All of these elements work together to improve the economics of the city at large,” said Cari Quater, President and Executive Director of the Chamber.
Over the course of the evening, five awards were given out by the Chamber. Karen Staples from the American Legion Post #19 was recognized as Ambassador of the Year as a new and active volunteer for the Chamber. Kate Waterhouse, owner of Cruisin’ Infusions, was awarded the Spirit of the Chamber award for her community service and Chamber involvement. Andy Austin of 104.3 The Goat was given the President’s Award for his support and advocacy for the Chamber and for the business community in Sanford.
The Chamber celebrated Brett Williams and the Sanford Performing Arts Center as the “York County Conversations” Episode of the Year. The radio show airs on 104.3 The GOAT Sunday mornings at 7am, with Quater and Austin bringing in businesses and non-profits in the community as guests.
Habitat for Humanity was celebrated as Non-Profit of the Year in recognition of its five completed houses in Springvale, and the five upcoming houses to be built in Sanford. “Through partnering with homeowners on lower-interest housing, Habitat for Humanity is giving individuals and families a chance for homeownership that might not have been possible. They are invested in our Sanford/Springvale community, and we are excited to have them as community partners,” said Quater at the ceremony.
The keynote speaker was Ed Hodgdon, Executive Director of The Maine Beaches Association, the regional tourism group for York County. He spoke about the unique outdoor experiences that Sanford already has in place, such as trails, ponds, and lakes, that could be used to attract visitors to spend their day in Sanford, contributing their dollars to the economy of the city through food and retail purchases.
“We invited Ed here to speak about the role Sanford can play in tourism on the west side of 95. We began planting the seeds this summer with our “Explore Sanford” initiative by adding new pages on our website, and creating rack cards which were distributed throughout the city as well as at the other Chambers of Commerce,” Quater explained. “As the downtown continues to grow, we need to be purposeful in getting the word out to coastal visitors that Sanford has recreational and cultural experience to offer. The Chamber will play a large role in getting that message out in the next few years.”
The Chamber also revealed its new logo, which represents the three areas of the city under a cheery blue sky. It features a generic manufacturing building for South Sanford, the historic Brown Building in downtown Sanford, and the former Springvale National Bank building in Springvale. Special to the logo is a nod to the city’s love of lampposts, as well as a single sidewalk uniting the three parts of Main Street as one. The red that is used is the same red as the previous “S” logo, and a mid-tone orange was added as a nod to the tan business buildings on Main Street.
The Chamber thanks all of the corporate and table sponsors, ‘Dessert Dash’ donors, and guests for making the event a success. The event was hosted and catered by The Ridge Wedding & Event Venue/Above and Beyond Catering.
