PUBLISHED JUNE 23, 2016
Chamber seeks public support to renovate decades-old banquet room
By LOIS KINDLE
The Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce sorely needs to give its 32-year-old banquet room a facelift, but it has no funds to do so. The facility is used not only by its members for meetings, luncheons and business-related gatherings, but also by area residents who rent the space and scores of area nonprofit and service groups that use it at no charge, said CEO Dana Dittmar.
“The banquet room, which has a capacity of 210, has the original paint and carpeting from when we added it in 1984,” she said. “We’re talking more than 30 years. Because we’re such an integral part of the community, it’s used almost daily. That’s a lot of wear and tear.”
Bids for the 3,800-square-foot banquet room’s renovation range from $50,000 to $100,000, Dittmar said, and the chamber can’t afford to modernize the facility without help from the groups that use it and the public. The job includes replacing the carpet with flooring; applying new paint; installing new lighting; and creating three rentable office spaces. The higher-end bids include updating the bathrooms, adding a washer-dryer combo for laundering linens and a commercial stove to the chamber’s 400-square-foot kitchen area; and adding wood flooring to its main office.
“The work is absolutely necessary,” said Steve Sciuga, co-owner of American Contractors, a chamber board member and the project manager. “The banquet room is so outdated and drab. Once we do the work, the chamber will be able to attract additional users to rent the banquet room, which in addition to the three offices, will help generate new revenue.”
But nothing can be done until the cash is raised.
“We’re a nonprofit and we do not receive any government funding,” Dittmar said. “We depend solely on membership fees and the money we raise through events like our annual expos and golf tournament.
“Most of that goes to operational expenses, including two salaries and overhead,” she continued. “So we’re asking the entire community, especially the groups that use the chamber, to help us do this upgrade through a GoFundMe account. It will benefit everyone.”
The chamber has received $7,500 in cash donations for the project and recently opened the GoFundMe account, where the total is $300 thus far. Dittmar said few people know about the account, and she’s trying to get the word out to solicit donations.
“In addition to chamber events, our banquet room is used by Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, NAMI, CERT, the Navy Seabees, Metaphysical Society, Emergency Squad and numerous other charity groups and service organizations,” Dittmar said. “It’s been used for by the public for weddings and wedding receptions, funerals, quinceanera ceremonies, anniversary parties and fundraising events like spaghetti dinners, concerts and trade shows.
“That’s why we’re asking everyone to pitch in and help us get this job done,” she said.
There is no minimum donation. Any amount is appreciated, Dittmar said. The account will be left open until enough money is collected to pay for the renovation.
If you’d like to help, visit www.gofundme.com/23n4xhtw. Donations can also be made by check or credit card or in person at the Sun City Area Chamber of Commerce building, 1651 Sun City Plaza, or via mail to the same address, Sun City Center 33573. For additional information, call 813-634-5111 and ask for Dana or Dexter.