Chamber awards

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner is one of the local highlights of the year for leaders in this community. It's an opportunity for the hundreds of chamber members to socialize, network and recognize the efforts of individuals and businesses.

There were three major awards given at this year's dinner last Friday. The award winners were:

* Rush H. Limbaugh Award: Maurice "Moe" Sandfort, a longtime banker who has served on several area boards of directors, civic groups and at Trinity Lutheran Church. The award recognizes an individual who has served the community over a significant period of time.

* Go-Getter Award: Paula Myers, a chamber ambassador who works at Alliance Bank. The winner of this award is selected on a competitive basis with criteria including member recruitment and retainment and assisting with chamber events.

* Small Business of the Year Award: Hendrickson Business Advisors and The Printing Co. Businesses eligible for this award must be 51 percent locally owned, be in business for more than five years and employ 50 people or fewer. A number of other criteria are also used in the evaluation, including leadership and customer satisfaction.

Congratulations to all the award recipients.