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Musician John Mayer's headline-making national tour, with girlfriend Jennifer Aniston in tow, is coming to the New England Dodge Music Center in Hartford Aug. 23.
We have two pairs of VIP box seats, with VIP parking passes, to give away during the giant raffle that closes the day at Stanley Golf Course Monday.
Like all of the prizes, the John Mayer tickets were donated by supportive chamber members and let me tell you, when we received the four tickets and two parking passes, it kicked off a buzz of excitement in the office.
VIP box seats aren't sold to the public. On various ticket resellers, comparable box seats cost anywhere from $300 to $400.
For the price of a few raffle tickets, a couple of people will see the concert of the summer.
John Mayer tickets are only the start of what has developed into the most exciting and biggest fundraising raffle we've ever had at a golf outing. Another lucky ticket-holder will get a baseball signed by this year's Major League All Star Game MVP, Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew. It was donated by the Boston Red Sox.
The list also includes a 26-inch flat-screen HD television, sponsored by The Herald and Sunday Herald Press, as well as a GPS navigation system and gift certificates from every well-known restaurant in the city. A fully stocked Stanley tool box will be another unique gift a lucky golfer receives.
There are foursomes with carts from Shuttle Meadow Country Club, Tunxis Golf Club and, of course, Stanley golf course.
What has become something of a high-energy tradition will continue this year as Dattco once again donates one-day use of its 22-seat, full-sized luxury VIP bus to be auctioned off that night.
The support for this year's event, which sees a full field of golfers tee off at 11 a.m., has been mind-boggling.
As our major fundraiser, the success of the golf outing each year is critical to new programs and services in the coming months.
Speaking of tickets, the New Britain Chamber has great box seats available at no charge this season for New Britain Rock Cats games for Chamber members, their employees and families.
The Rock Cats have an innovative Flex Plan option, which allows businesses to purchase a block of tickets and draw down on those tickets as they are used.
The chamber purchased the block earlier in the season and is making them available for members, employers and their families as a member benefit.
Two, four or even six tickets may be reserved by contacting the chamber at (860) 229-1665 and letting us know which game someone wants to attend. We contact the box office and they have the tickets at the Will Call window that night. We do need at least 48 hours' advance notice, to ensure that the box seats are available.
The chamber has welcomed so many new members this summer, I'll be surprised if the tickets don't go pretty quickly.
On the subject of new members, we have also been offering our longtime members a special thank-you for their loyalty and enthusiasm in recommending new members for the chamber.
Any present member who recommends a business or organization that eventually becomes a chamber member will receive $50 off their next annual membership statement. And for individuals who aren't chamber members, like a local educator, who recommended a young business person to the chamber last week, we are offering one of our monthly marketing mailings, a $50 value, as a thank-you.
There is no better advertising in the world than testimonial advertising. And when a friend or colleague recommends a restaurant, a plumber or a chamber of commerce, people tend to listen.
The New Britain Chamber has benefited immeasurably from the depth of support not only from its members but from the community in general.
It's important that we recognize that support and these two thank-you "gifts" are that kind of gesture.
William F. Millerick is president of the New Britain Chamber of Commerce. He may be reached at bill@newbritainchamber.com.
