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Remember field day?  That one day near the end of the school year when your sole focus was becoming champion at tug-of-war?  Last Friday, the Young Professionals of Osceola County traveled back in time to field day – though this time in service of a greater goal – with their Barnyard Olympics & Non-Profit Fair.  Now in its fourth year, the Barnyard Olympics remains Osceola County’s only opportunity to learn about the great work being done by non-profits in our area while also trying not to make a fool of yourself at Dizzy Bat. 
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Teams of four progressed around the arena at the KVLS Pavilion to hear from local non-profits and learn how they might get involved with those organizations.  Each non-profit then facilitated a game and allowed the teams to get competitive for a chance to win raffle prizes donated by the non-profit participants and sponsors.  The evening included dinner from Big John’s Rockin’ BBQ and a bar manned by the Osceola Cattlemen’s Association and Silver Spurs Club.  The final match of the night was an epic tug-of-war battle involving the whole crowd.

This year’s participating non-profits were CAAIRE, Community Vision, The Education Foundation, The Florida Native Plant Society – Pine Lily Chapter, Guardian Ad Litem, Help Now, I Rise, The Opportunity Center, Osceola Arts, Osceola Healthy Families, New Beginnings, Relay for Life, The Sunshine Foundation Dream Village, and United Way.
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Sponsorship from Edward Jones – Joel Ferguson, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Wild Florida, Street Outdoor, Headquarters Coworking, the Osceola Cattlemen’s Association, and the Silver Spurs Club made the event possible.

If you missed out, start getting your team together for next year’s event; you have afull year to practice your cornhole skills. Or, check out the participating non-profits, and other non-profits in our area, and learn how you can get involved as a volunteer or serve on their boards of directors.  See you next year!

For more fun shots of the event, check out RTW Photography’s gallery.

May 4, 2018 (Lakeland, FL): Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Cindy Lewis was recently recognized as the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) 2017 Professional of the Year. The award was announced at the FACP Spring Conference, held May 3-4 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lakeland, FL.

Cindy has served the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce for almost three decades. She will celebrate 29 years in October. She started as an executive assistant in 1989 and “worked her way through the ranks” to become Executive Vice President in 2008. Ask any long-term member of the Osceola business community and they will tell you, in Osceola County, Cindy Lewis IS the Chamber\

“Cindy’s array of talents have proven to be invaluable for the Kissimmee Chamber. She does everything first class and owns the project from start to finish,” said John Newstreet, President/CEO of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce.

Cindy is a Florida native, loves spending time with her husband, and is active at her ranch filled with livestock.

Serving Osceola County since 1924, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce is an association of business people whose priority is improving the business and residential community, while improving and making their business more profitable.

July 19, 2018 (Kissimmee, FL): A solid crowd of political supporters attended the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Osceola Hob Nob at Osceola Heritage Park to cast their vote for local, state and federal politicians at Osceola County’s premier political event.

Voters made their voice count during the “Straw Ballot Poll” conducted as part of the event. All event attendees had the opportunity to rally support for their candidate of choice during the Parade of Candidates.

Candidates seeking support for election into office were present to personally meet the Osceola County voters. While strolling through the numerous display booths hosted by each candidate and business vendors, attendees indulged in unlimited networking with the area’s top business leaders, enjoyed delicious catering by SAVOR, and took part in the fun and festivities.

The results of the “Straw Ballot Poll” were announced at the close of the event.

The 2018 Hob Nob is sponsored by: Disney (Title Sponsor), Kissimmee Utility Authority (Corporate Sponsor), University of Central Florida (Supporting Sponsor), Toho Water Authority and Spectrum Reach (Contributing Sponsors), and our Partners, Access Osceola, City Beverages, City of Kissimmee, Osceola Heritage Park and Osceola Star.

Serving Osceola County since 1924, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce represents approximately 1,000 small, medium and large companies, organizations and governments.

2018 Straw Ballot Results: Kissimmee/Osceola Co. Chamber 2018 Hob-Nob Tabulated Results

GOVERNOR

• Don Baldauf – 1%
• Ron DeSantis – 9%
• Timothy M. Devine – 1%
• Ryan Christopher Foley – 0%
• Kyle "KC" Gibson – 1%
• Andrew Gillum – 8%
• Gwen Graham – 16%
• Jeff Greene – 3%
• Raphael Herman – 0%
• Chris King – 5%
• Bob Langford – 1%
• Philip Levine – 15%
• Alex "Lundy" Lundmark – 1%
• John Joseph Mercandante – 1%
• Bruce Nathan – 0%
• Adam H. Putnam – 36%
• Darcy G. Richardson – 0%
• Bruce Stanley – 1%
• John Wetherbee – 1%
• Bob White – 3%

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE

• Alan Grayson – 8%
• Wayne Liebnitzky – 41%
• Darren Soto – 52%

STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 39

• Ricky Shirah – 43%
• Josie Tomkow – 57%

STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 42

• Barbara Cady – 32%
• Mike LaRosa – 68%

CIRCUIT JUDGE – GROUP 15, 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

• Jeff Ashton – 68%
• Howard Friedman – 32%

CIRCUIT JUDGE – GROUP 26, 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

• Joseph Haynes Davis – 44%
• Tom Young – 56%

CIRCUIT JUDGE – GROUP 41, 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

• Lorraine Elizabeth DeYoung – 8%
• Dean Mosley – 25%
• Laura Shaffer – 67%

OSCEOLA COUNTY JUDGE – GROUP 1

• Christine E. Arendas – 49%
• Ernie Mullins – 22%
• Danny Villazon – 29%

COUNTY COMMISSION – DISTRICT 2

• Rolando S. Banasco – 3%
• Viviana Janer – 44%
• Janette Martinez – 8%
• Wanda Y. Rentas – 44%

COUNTY COMMISSION – DISTRICT 4

• Wilfredo "Will" Fonseca – 7%
• Will Gonzalez Jr – 2%
• Cheryl Grieb – 62%
• Adam Michelin – 29%

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER – DISTRICT 1

• Teresa "Terry" Castillo – 52%
• Shel Hart – 48%

KISSIMMEE CITY COMMISSIONER – SEAT 2

• Reginald Hardee – 29%
• Horng "Andrew" Jeng – 18%
• Steven Mullis – 13%
• Felix Ortiz – 40%

KISSIMMEE CITY COMMISSIONER – SEAT 4

• Jim Fisher – 79%
• Lisandra Román – 21%

ST. CLOUD CITY COUNCIL – SEAT 4

• Dave Askew – 72%
• Anthony Busby – 28%

ST. CLOUD CITY COUNCIL – SEAT 5

• Donny Shroyer – 32%
• Keith Trace – 68%

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