Be Part of the Race: Sponsor a Duckie for SCAN

Be part of the race to raise $150,000 to help eliminate child abuse and neglect in Northeast Indiana! The race is in full swing as SCAN prepares for its 21st Annual Duck Race. This year's duck race will take place on Saturday, June 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the Johnny Appleseed Park boat ramp. The first 29 duckies to go through the winner's chute will receive great prizes (minimum value of $75). The grand prize is $5,000 cash from Weigand Construction and the 2nd place prize is $1,500 cash from Manpower.

To be part of the race to stop child abuse and neglect you simply need to sponsor a plastic duckie. SCAN's Duck Race is the agency's largest and most popular fundraiser of the year. Individuals, organizations and businesses can sponsor plastic duckies for $5 each (corporate sponsorships, called Duck Dignitaries, are also available). Each duckie helps eliminate sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect of children in Northeast Indiana.

For more information on the Duck Race or for a list of businesses selling duckies click here or contact Stephanie Jentgen at (260) 421-5002, ext. 2238 or sjentgen@scaninc.org.

In This Issue...

In today's issue of Emphasis magazine (center section of the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly)...

Chamber member eXcellon Technologies makes the Inner City Top 100 List for the third year in a row...

The Chamber leads a delegation in Washington D.C. to oppose EFCA Card Check Legislation - find out how you can make your voice heard...

Learn how to use the Web to your advantage with Digital Hill...

For questions about Emphasis contact Nicole Wilkins at nwilkins@fwchamber.org.

Art of Green Design

At this Business Brown Bag you will discover how "going green" at work can help keep your budget "in the black." Join us at Cinema Center as Tom Werling and Dave Hall of The Hagerman Group present "Building Green."

In addition, enjoy a special Artlink exhibit entitled Green. Browse works depicting environmental initiatives and made from recycled materials. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 17, 2009 from Noon-1 p.m. at Cinema Center (437 E. Berry St.).

Register online or at the door. $5 for Chamber Members, $10 for Non-Members.

Autumn Ridge Golf Club to Become a Member's Only Club with Perks

Autumn Ridge Golf Club will soon become a "members only" club, effective in 2010. The new club will offer both single and family memberships. Various attractive incentives are available for potential members, including waiving the initiation fee for the first 100 new members.

The private club will provide an affordable avenue for members to play golf without associated food minimums, bag storage, cart and other fees. Autumn Ridge is a challenging course that has achieved the prestigious 4 Star Rating by Golf Digest and features manicured fairways, tournament cut greens and 14 holes where water comes into play.

Autumn Ridge will be home of the 2009 Chamber Golfopoly Golf Outing. Click here to sign up now!

Chamber Member ITT Receives Multi-Million Army Contract

The U.S. Army has awarded a $363 million contract to New York-based ITT Corp. for work to be performed at its Fort Wayne location. ITT will produce equipment for army radio systems. The estimated completion date of the contract is June 2011.

Local Restaurant Earns Prestigious Four Diamond Rating

Local restaurant, Joseph Decuis, was honored on June 1st at a luncheon in Chicago as a recipient of AAA's prestigious Four Diamond Award which recognizes the finest in food, hospitality and service. AAA is the nation's largest leisure travel agency and evaluates 58,000 lodgings and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Four diamond restaurants account for just 2.8 percent of the 28,000 restaurants evaluated.

This is the fourth consecutive Four Diamond Award Joseph Decuis has received from AAA. Joseph Decuis is the only restaurant in the Fort Wayne area with a Four-Diamond rating, and one of only four restaurants in the state of Indiana with the rating.

The award recognizes the ability to achieve and maintain the highest level of hospitality in the most luxurious surroundings complemented by an extensive array of personalized services for every guest, and consistently exceed the expectations of dining guests.

Joseph Decuis is located in Roanoke, Indiana. For more information visit josephdecuis.com.

Holiday Inn at IPFW and Coliseum Invites Neighbors to Enjoy a Special Reduced Rate

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Fort Wayne's Rivergreenway Receives National Designation

Fort Wayne's Rivergreenway has been officially designated a National Recreation Trail by the National Parks Service.

For achieving this honor, the Greenway will receive a certificate of designation, a letter of congratulations from Secretary Ken Salazar, and NRT trail markers. The Rivergreenway trail joins a network of more than 1,050 previously designated trails that total more than 12,500 miles across the United States.

The Rivergreenway is designed for the enjoyment of all residents and visitors, offering the city numerous benefits. The trails provide a beautiful and historical experience, help with flood mitigation, link neighborhoods to points of destination, such as parks, schools and downtown, add to property values, and support economic development.

According to the Fort Wayne Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), in May the CVB received more requests for information about the Rivergreenway than any other Fort Wayne attraction.

Covington Art Fair This Weekend

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Demolition Work Begins on Memorial Stadium

Preliminary work for the demolition of Fort Wayne's Memorial Stadium will begin today. It will be torn down June 15. The facility was dedicated in April 1993 and was home field for the Fort Wayne Wizards baseball team. More than four million people visited the park while it was open.

Upcoming Chamber Academy Dates

Don't miss out on these exciting Chamber Academy Seminars!

Tomorrow June 9 - "Survive or Thrive: Change Tips for Turbulent Times," presented by Chris Battell of Mid-West Consulting Group and Kris Taylor of K. Taylor & Associates from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. Leading during these turbulent times is unsettling and unnerving, even for the very best executives and managers. Come learn the dynamics of change leadership and how to build engagement, hold people accountable, and help your organization move forward. Cost is just $19. To register, click here.

June 30 - "Presenting for Impact" will be presented by Chris Sanderson of Dale Carnegie Training from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. Cost is just $19.To register, click here. At the completion of this seminar, participants will be able to: * Analyze principles for participating in teams during changes * Develop stronger team relationships * Practice a higher level of listening effectiveness * Integrate the Change Model into team interactions.

For more information about Chamber Academy call Heather Neilson at (260) 424-1435, ext. 241 or hneilson@fwchamber.org.

Free Concert at "Brown Bag on Barr"

Join the History Center in celebrating Fort Wayne's Germanfest on Tuesday, June 9, at 11:30 am. Bring your "brown bag" lunch and relax under the trees and canopies at the Barr Street Market. It's a wonderful place to gather and enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown Fort Wayne. Tables and chairs are provided, so all you need to bring is your lunch! From 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, the "Hearthstone Ensemble" band from Settlers, Inc. perform music from Early America.

The Barr Street Market is located behind the History Center, 302 East Berry Street. Free to the public. For more information, call (260) 426-2882.