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Widow of 9/11 banquet speaker |
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Monday, 19 January 2009 |
Deena Burnett Bailey, who became a widow when terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, will be the featured speaker for the Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce’s 36th annual Winter Banquet.
Banquet doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, with a silent auction on the new Pulaski Technical College South campus at 13000 Interstate 30.
Tickets are on sale now.
Bailey, of Little Rock, will tell the story of her late husband, Tom Burnett, and other patriots aboard Flight 93 who died when their hijacked plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field 9/11.
Bailey, who has since remarried a Little Rock businessman, was appointed to serve on the State Board of Election Commissioners in May. She also is a board member of the Twentieth Century Club, coordinator of the Ministry of Mothers for the Little Rock Diocese, co-author of the book “Fighting Back: Living Life Beyond Ourselves,” a board member for the organization Girl Ambition and a speaker for the Young America’s Foundation.
State Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, will emcee the event and members of the Hurricane Creek Elementary School Patriot Choir will sing.
Chamber board President Jack Carney, vice president of First Security Bank in Bryant, will present a chamber report.
“This event draws the most chamber members under a roof together in the year,” chamber Executive Director Rae Ann Fields said. “We have sold out of tickets for the past six years or so and hopefully we can do it again this year.”
Allison Ramsey, co-chairperson of the event, said they have just recently began selling tickets and have seen “about a third of the tickets sold already.” The event will open with the silent auction that features a variety of items.
“It ranges from stuff you would use everyday to stuff you want to do for yourself or someone else but won’t unless you get a good deal and it is for a good cause,” Beth Smith, Sub committee chairperson for the silent auction said. “We have had donations so far of a jewelry, loose precious and semi-precious stones, furniture, Razorback items, haircut certificates and much more.”
Fields said the silent auction is not just for Bryant chamber members and reminds successful bidders that they must pay for and take home their items that evening.
“Area business people who want visibility for their products or services can donate items for bidding,” Fields said. “Some donors are not business people, just people in the community who have something to give to help the Chamber out.”
Dinner will be served by at 6:45 p.m. with a menu of Sicilian chicken, green beans and pepper bundles, pasta, salad, rolls, and dessert. The Pulaski Technical College Culinary School will prepare the food.
Winter Banquet tickets are $25 per person if a table of ten is reserved. Those reserved individually will be $27.50 each. Tickets have to be reserved in advance and will not be sold the day of the event. Call the Chamber at 847-4702 to reserve tickets. Nice business or “smart” dress is the usual attire.
Attendees are asked to enter at the main entrance and enter at east side of the building. Classes will be in session and this allows less disruption of the campus’ normal activities.
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Razorbacks
