Executive Committee to Meet Thursday at Chamber Office
Knickerbocker Tavern to Host Next "Green Drinks"
GRYP to Hold Networking Event in Downtown Hollidaysburg
Health Problems Result in Breakfast Club Speaker Change
Changed Your Buying Habits Yet?  Let Us Know!
July's "Buy Here. Live Here." Newsletter Available Online
Tired of New Customers Always Wanting to Give You Their Money?
Privilege Pages Provide Great Value at a Low Price
Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
Chamber Energy Program: Great Savings on Commercial Electric Rates
Congratulations...
Blue Card Discounts 

Executive Committee to Meet Thursday at Chamber Office
The Executive Committee of the Blair County Chamber’s Board of Directors will meet on Thursday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Chamber Office located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. Any Chamber Member who would like to bring any issues before the committee should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

Knickerbocker Tavern to Host Next "Green Drinks"
The Knickerbocker Tavern, located at 3957 Sixth Avenue in Altoona will host the next “Green Drinks” networking event this Tuesday, July 17th beginning at 6:30 p.m. and concluding whenever the last person leaves.  Green Drinks is a program of the Blair County Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability.  It is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in discussing sustainability or other environmental issues to do so in a relaxed, social atmosphere.  There is no charge to attend and no need to register in advance.  For more information, contact Katrina Pope at 942-7472.

GRYP to Hold Networking Event in Downtown Hollidaysburg
The monthly networking event for The Chamber’s Growth & Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will be held Thursday, July 19th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the diamond in downtown Hollidaysburg. There is no cost to attend for GRYP members or non-members but pre-registration is appreciated. This is a great opportunity for young professionals to get out and mingle with the community in a casual atmosphere and hear a free concert by Flight 19. Bring lawn chairs. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Health Problems Result in Breakfast Club Speaker Change
The bad news is that the speaker for the next Chamber Breakfast Club – Executive Director Joe Geiger of the PA Association of Non-Profit Organizations (PANO) – has experienced health problems and is unable to make the August 9th event. The good news is that his replacement is just as familiar with the topic of “The Impact of Non-Profits on the Blair County Economy.” Attorney Jack Owen of the Pittsburgh law firm of Rhoades & Wodarczyk, is a former PANO board member and is the past president of Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council. He has considerable experience in working with non-profits. The Breakfast Club will begin at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The cost to attend is $16 for members and $30 for non-members. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Sponsor for the August Breakfast Club is The Village at Morrison’s Cove.

Changed Your Buying Habits Yet?  Let Us Know!
Too often, recognition bypasses people who deserve it most. The Chamber is attempting to change that through its “Buy Here. Live Here.” program. “We’re encouraging people to change their buying habits,” remarked Randy Green of McCartney’s, who chairs the BHLH Steering Committee. “When they do, we want to point that out to others. And we want to thank the people who are showing consideration for the future of their community.” If you are one of those people or your business has taken steps toward local buying, call Joe Hurd at The Chamber today (943-8151) or email him.

July's "Buy Here. Live Here." Newsletter Available Online
The July edition of the Buy Here. Live Here. online newsletter is now available and features an article on The Summit Tennis & Athletic Club, a local business that has changed its buying habits to include more local vendors. If you haven’t received the newsletter it means that you haven’t yet signed a pledge card saying that you will attempt to buy at least 10% more of your products and services from local providers. You can access a pledge card either by visiting The Chamber Office or by visiting the website at http://www.buyherelivehere.com/.

Tired of New Customers Always Wanting to Give You Their Money?
If you already have all the business that you need, make sure that you never end-up on The Chamber’s Blue Card List. Since there are more than 45,000 Blue Cards already in circulation, the last thing that you need is a bunch of customers bothering you to sell them some product or service. That will likely take up a lot of your time and maybe vault you into a higher tax bracket. Getting on the Blue Card List is free to Chamber Members and we know how much you hate free things. So avoid the Blue Card program like the plague or you might inadvertently become successful.

Privilege Pages Provide Great Value at a Low Price
If you were able to send an 8 ½ by 11 inch marketing piece about your business or organization to more than 1,100 business people for only $125, would you? Well several smart Chamber Members have been using “Privilege Pages” for quite some time. These marketing pieces are inserted in the monthly issues of the Blair Business Mirror that are direct mailed to The Chamber’s membership list. They are an effective way to hit a target audience that is often hard to reach. If you want your business to gain a competitive edge, call Jessica Meck at The Chamber today at 943-8151 and reserve your Privilege Page.

Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce is seeking an intern for the Fall Semester. The intern should be majoring in Business Management, Marketing or Communications. The internship can be either for credit or personal enrichment. Interested students should contact Linda Stotler at 943-8151. 

Chamber Energy Program: Great Savings on Commercial Electric Rates
If your business is a member of the Blair County Chamber and you haven’t enrolled in a discount program for electricity, you’re already losing money.  To remedy that situation, check out The Chamber’s commercial energy program through OnDemand Energy.  The rates are great and the service is outstanding.  Simply visit the website at http://www.ondemandenergy.com/ and see what you’ve been missing!

Congratulations...
. . . to the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team from Saint Francis University which was awarded the Campbell’s Soup Silver Spoon Award for raising more than 14,000 pounds of food as part of the organization’s “Let’s Can Hunger Challenge.”  The team received this award at the SIFE USA National Championship, held in Kansas City.
. . . to Saint Francis University, which was awarded the title of Healthiest Employer in Western Pennsylvania by HealthiestEmployers.com.  The site recognizes organizations that are committed to creating a healthy workplace.
. . . to the Intermunicipal Relations Committee which recently received a $5,000 Keep America Beautiful Community Improvement Grant from Lowes.

Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.    

Imler's Poultry	A 5% discount on all purchases at the Route 764 Outlet Store. Please present your card at checkout to receive your discount.
K&C Denture Center	Present your Blue Card to receive $100 off a set of deluxe line of dentures or higher. Blue card must be presented on first visit. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
Keystone Business Support	Present your Chamber Blue Card and receive 15 percent off the first 3 months for all new commerical cleaning service.
Kopp Drug	Present your Blue Card for a free membership to the Kopp Drug RX Rewards Plus Club Card.
Mattress World	Present your Blue Card to receive 10% off any purchase excluding coupon offers.