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Chamber starts member drive
09.09 chamber drive
Citizens Bank Chief Executive Officer Michael Lee, left, and Freddy Long of Long Builders are heading up teams in the Effingham Chamber of Commerce’s membership campaign. The person who signs up the most new members will win either a Caribbean cruise or a 32-inch high definition flat screen television. Should Long’s team beat Lee’s team, Lee said he would take a pie in the face from someone of Long’s choosing. Long said he would do likewise with someone of Lee’s choosing. - photo by Photo by Pat Donahue

Effingham Chamber of Commerce leaders are hoping to add more than 100 new members to their rolls during their membership campaign this month.

“Our production goal is 100 new members, but I think we can do better,” Michael Lee, the campaign chairman, said Thursday morning as the drive began. “We already have 14 new members, and we’re just getting out of the gate.”

Lee is heading up one campaign team while Chamber President Freddy Long is leading the other.

“There are 3,000-plus businesses in this county,” Long said. “We have 400 members, and there are 3,000 businesses. Our goals are big, but we’re going to attain them.”

Long also said the Chamber is moving forward with its plans to spur entrepreneurship in the county and wants to get the Chamber’s welcome center declared an official welcome center. He also cited beautifying Highway 21 into Effingham as another objective.

“Things are happening here,” he said.

Chamber officials also want to raise $20,000 but the main goal is to attract new members.

“Our goal is getting members and getting active members,” Lee said.

The campaign will last three weeks. For more information on the Chamber, call 754-3301.