Built for the future in Olathe; 100th anniversary under way
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Luncheon, presented by Olathe Health, took place last Friday and, man, what a day it was. We’re “Built for the Future” and it was evident as we shared all the great things going on in Olathe.
We welcomed nearly 400 attendees to the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center to network with friends and peers, learn more about why Olathe continues to be the place where individuals and businesses want to be, and hear about some of those who had the biggest influence on our community in 2022.
We also kicked off our 100th anniversary celebration that will last all year long.
Outgoing Board Chair Stan Holm shared our successes from 2022, and new Chair Oscar Healy shared his vision for this year.
Several service awards were presented to Chamber members:
- Ron Ryckman was named Citizen of the Year
- The City of Olathe was named Corporate Citizen of the Year
- Mary Dvorak was named Dana Ketterling Volunteer of the Year
- Brent Hofelt was named Ambassador of the Year
The Annual Meeting title sponsor was Olathe Health. Thank you to gold sponsors Country Club Bank, Garmin, Gilmore & Bell, Humana, John Deere, McCownGordon Construction, Olathe Public Schools and Terracon.
Our table sponsors were AdventHealth, Atmos Energy, Brinkman Contractors, Central Bank of the Midwest, City of Olathe, Commerce Bank, Community America Credit Union, CoreFirst Bank, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Foulston Siefkin, Heartland Coca-Cola, Harmon Construction, HNTB Corporation, Inclusion Connections, JE Dunn Construction, LANE4 Property Group, Mainstreet Credit Union, McCarthy Building Companies, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Nabholz Construction, Newkirk Novak, Olathe Ford Lincoln, Olathe Fire Department, Olathe Police Department, Olsson Inc., Opus, Robert Brogden Buick GMC, State Farm Insurance/Jason Parker, Turner Construction, UMB, and University of Kansas Health Systems.
The speaker and video sponsors were Johnson County Community College, Honda of Olathe, Kansas State University – Olathe, KVC Health Systems, Subaru of Olathe and VanTrust Real Estate.
Take a look at some photos from the event here.
Registration open for State of County Luncheon
Don’t forget to put the State of the County Luncheon on your calendar. The annual luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 at the Overland Park Convention Center. The deadline for reservations is noon on Monday, March 27. Individual tickets are $50 and a corporate table of 10 is $550. Register today.
New Member Orientation Luncheon this Friday
Be sure to join us this Friday, March 10, for our New Member Orientation Luncheon. Whether you’re a new member, a member who has never attended, or have new employees, you and your employees are welcome to attend.
The event begins at 11:15 a.m. and will take place at Olathe Medical Center, Doctor’s Building 2, 20333 W. 151st St., room 315. Please join us to learn how to make the most of your Chamber membership. Register here.
The luncheon is presented by Olathe Health. Please remember that masks are required in all Olathe Health facilities.
YOPro is back with event later this month
The Young Olathe Professionals are back! Make plans to join us to celebrate the return our popular YOPro from 3:30 – 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 at Tall Trellis Brewery.
The first YOPro event will be all about networking. We’ll reconnect, toast to our return, tackle some brain-stirring riddles and win a few prizes.
We’re excited to re-engage with the younger members of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce (and the young at heart). This is the first of what will be monthly meetings of the YOPro group. Beginning in March, YOPro will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month. Stay tuned for more great events coming later this year.
This event is free, but please register today so we know who’s coming. We can’t wait to see you on March 28.
Join Leadership Olathe alums for serve and social event
Please join the current Leadership Olathe class and alumni for our first Serve and Social. This event will take place from 4 – 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 at Heart to Heart International, 11550 Renner Blvd.
The first hour will be focused on giving back to the community, followed by a social hour to network with fellow Leadership Olathe alums. From 4 – 5 p.m., we’ll be preparing medical aid kits. At 5 p.m., we’ll have a social hour and hear from Dr. Gary Morsch, founder of Heart to Heart International. Tours of the facility will be available after 6 p.m.
Hope to see you there.
Grab a booth at the Garmin Olathe Marathon expo
The Garmin Olathe Marathon is coming up on April 22. As the big day quickly approaches, the annual Holmes Murphy Garmin Olathe Marathon Packet Pick-up and Expo on April 20-21 is a perfect opportunity to promote your business.
For more information or to inquire about expo sponsorship opportunities, please contact Susie Carson.
This year’s Garmin Olathe Marathon, organized by the Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau, will start and finish at Garmin International at 151st and Ridgeview.
The April 22 event will feature the largest full-marathon and half-marathon in the state of Kansas, a 10K, the Munchkin Marathon, and the CenterWell Senior Walk. Register here and join in on the fun.
Advertising opportunities available in Olathe Visitors Guide
Advertising sales for the Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau visitors guide have begun.
More than 10,000 guides are printed and given to sports teams, corporate travelers, conference attendees and leisure travelers. There’s also a digital version of the guide that we share across the area and region.
Our partner, MetroMedia Publishers, will be reaching out to members to offer advertising opportunities in the guide. This is an excellent chance to promote your business and be visible with an engaged audience. For more information on advertising, contact Kathy Moore at MetroMedia Publishers.
WHAT'S NEW
Olathe Arts Festival headed to downtown Olathe this fall
The news about downtown Olathe just keeps getting better and better. The City of Olathe is proud to present the Olathe Arts Festival in downtown Olathe.
The Olathe Arts Festival provides individuals and families an awesome and enriching experience that inspires and celebrates the arts. In addition to being a juried art competition, the festival will bring patrons downtown to meet the artists and purchase their work, while enjoying local flavors, live music and entertainment and fun art activities for all.
Mark your calendars and check here for more information.
Vote for Garmin Olathe Marathon
We know the Garmin Olathe Marathon and the companion Munchkin Marathon are a couple of the best events in the area, but know we need to let everyone else know.
That’s right, it’s time to vote early and vote often. The Garmin Olathe Marathon has been nominated for the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Contest for the Best Marathon and the Munchkin Marathon has been nominate for the Best Fun Run.
Be sure to vote. Voting is open now and ends on Monday, March 27. You can rock the vote here and of course we encourage you to share the contest URL with your social network. The public can vote once per day, per category.
Explore KC with KC Kid Friendly Trip
The KC Kid Friendly Trip is a free way to explore Kansas City! Download the OtoCast app on your phone and start exploring. Get out and enjoy some stops throughout KC that are for the young (and young at heart). Be sure to stop by Calamity Line Park near K-7 and Santa Fe to check out Olathe’s kid friendly spot on the trip. Earn three badges along the way and be entered to win a $250 prize. Check out more information here.
OUT & ABOUT
Peter Piper Pizzeria grand opening this week
Join us at the brand-new Peter Piper Pizzeria, 15139 W. 119th St., at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday for a special Olathe Chamber Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting.
The new, fast casual restaurant will serve made-from-scratch, hand-tossed pizza and pan pizzas, plus wings, salads, desserts, pasta and sandwiches, as well as wine and craft beer.
Please join City of Olathe Mayor John Bacon for a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. The first 75 guests in line will receive a $75 gift card and 50 percent of opening day sales will be donated to the Olathe Mayor’s Children’s Fund.
CHAMBER CONNECTION
Latino students and their parents/guardians are invited to a free, bilingual information session about how to prepare for college. The Latinos to College Kansas event will take place from 9:30 a.m. – noon on Saturday, March 25 at K-State University – Olathe, 22201 W. Innovation Dr. There will be a resource fair, breakout sessions and a panel discussion. Check here for more info on the event.
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation recently awarded an $18,265 grant to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) to purchase 13 automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The new equipment will enable staff, clients, volunteers and others to be better prepared in cardiac emergency situations at any of CCNEK’s 13 locations across the region, including TurnStyles Thrift stores.
Great news for Johnson County small businesses that took a hit over the past couple of years. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County (ECJC) announced that Johnson County small businesses – including childcare facilities – are able to apply for a Johnson County Small Business Recovery grant here.
All Johnson County residents can drop off their unwanted Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) at the City of Olathe’s drop-off event from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at the HHW facility, 1420 S. Robinson Dr., behind the City of Olathe Public Works and Customer Service. Residents will be asked to provide a photo ID and a general description of their HHW items. For the safety of staff, customers will be asked to remain in their vehicle at all times during the drop-off. Staff will remove all materials. Visit here for a full list of acceptable items.
Next week, 72 competition teams from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado will fill Lone Elm Park, 21151 W 167th St. with award-winning barbecue in the fifth annual Qlathe BBQ Championship sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). For more information, visit OlatheKS.gov/QlatheBBQ and follow the event on Facebook.
DID YOU KNOW
Not enough time in your day to do everything you need to do to make your business thrive? Let the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and it’s more than 1,200 members help. Check out this video and let us help.
A LOOK AHEAD
NOTE: You can reach the Olathe community and beyond through the Chamber’s online calendar of events. Members can complete the online form and then submit their events online for approval by staff. If you have multiple day events, a form must be submitted for each day. Listings must meet the established criteria.
Also, if the Olathe School District is closed due to inclement weather, the event will be cancelled.
March 9 – Chamber Coffee at Honda of Olathe, 1000 N. Rogers Road, 9 a.m.
March 9 – Olathe Chamber Ribbon Cutting at Peter Piper Pizzeria, 15139 W. 119th St., 10:30 a.m.
RECENT CHAMBER MEMBERS
COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS
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