The Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Surprise Cookie Patrol has been a great opportunity for us to thank our Chamber of Commerce members. We love meeting each business, their employees and hearing their stories. With all the wonderful moments that have come from this, we have an opportunity to bring a new purpose to our cookie patrol. Thank you to the great suggestion by our Ambassador Patrick Bodell, now each month, in addition to the cookie we deliver, the business will become the “Featured Chamber Member” of the Month and with that we will be dropping off a “Cookie Jar.”

“Why drop off the Cookie Jar?” You ask. 

Well, each month the business receiving our cookie will be our featured Chamber Member of the Month. During that month, the Chamber will promote the business and encourage people to stop in and say hi or buy something or do a rain dance or whatever gets them in the door! So anyone stopping in the business can fill out an entry slip. 

At the end of our month, the Chamber Member of the Month will hold a drawing and will draw a lucky winner from all those who stopped in and filled out an entry. 

This is how the new program will work.

We will stop in and visit the business on the second Thursday of the month. We will ask the business to share their story. We hope to gather as many of the employees as possible for a company photo. The chamber will then use as many outlets as we can to promote our Chamber Member of the Month. The Monroe Times has always been great about running our Surprise Cookie Patrol stories. We have a great local radio station that can spread the word too.

While we are there, we will do a social media blast including our website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Facebook live. We are encouraging our local business to take on the promotion of the cookie jar as well. 

For the following 30 days – plus or minus a few – the cookie jar will be on display for everyone to put their name in for drawing for a prize provided by the place of business. 

We understand the importance that shopping local has on every one of us. No matter what business you are in, we know our local dollars spent keep bringing great new things to our community. We at the Chamber of Commerce are doing whatever we can to keep people connected and bringing everyone the products and services that are important and unique to us.   

So, how can you participate? Each month when the business for the month is announced, feel free to stop in and thank them for being a local business that brings a product or service to Monroe. We will post the information on our Facebook page, our website, monroechamber.org or you can stop in our office at 1505 9th Street. You can even call us at 608-325-7648. We would be happy to share any information you are interested in.

We encourage as many people as possible to stop in. 

This month, First Weber Hedeman Group is our Chamber of Commerce Member of the Month. Stop by Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and speak to one of their dedicated real estate professionals. Put your name in the cookie jar and wait to see who wins a fantastic prize. We are excited to start a new way of bringing the spotlight on the businesses that keep Monroe moving toward the future. 

— Melissa Even is the executive director for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at melissa@monroechamber.org.