Thoughts from Dale Steenbergen –
First, thank you! The businesses of Cheyenne have given so much and have worked so hard to fight COVID-19 in our community.
You have implemented health practices, provided hand sanitizer, worn masks, worn gloves, donated to relief efforts, and have sacrificed financially to provide for your employees and their families. Unfortunately, while you were working so diligently to take care of those around you, you were seldom thanked or remembered for the personal sacrifices that helped build our awesome community. So, on behalf of your Chamber of Commerce board, staff, and volunteers we want to say thanks for all that you have done and continue to do to make Cheyenne a great place to live, work and do business.
I wish I could tell you that the nightmare is behind us and that we are on cruise control for the rest of 2020. I wish I could tell you that our cases are decreasing, and that we are headed toward normalcy, but that is just not reality. Because this brutal enemy is rearing its head yet again, we desperately need your help. We need you to not just be generous, hardworking, hopeful, and benevolent but we also need you to be superheroes! Not the kind of superhero that fights crime, but the kind that fights COVID-19. Not the kind of superhero that wins the fight against bad guys but the kind that wins the fight against the virus, and yes, the kind that wears a mask.
Chamber members, we need each other now more than ever. We need to lift one another up, to encourage each other and to protect one another’s health. We must do things that we do not like, that are bothersome and sometimes even downright irritating if we are going to make sure that we do not have to close our state back down. We survived the first shutdown, but if we must do it again, I worry that the results will be catastrophic.
Stand up superheroes! We need you. The good news is that as American businesses, you have answered this call since 1776. You have been superheroes fighting through wars, pandemics, and economic collapses and you will be the superheroes that power us through this pandemic. As we celebrate the 4th of July this weekend, reflect on what really drives America. It has always been about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I am so proud of you Cheyenne. You have worked hard, and I know you will continue to push forward. Have a blessed and fun Independence Day and remember that you are the superheroes that will save the day.
The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1907 and is more than 1,000 members strong. Using guiding core competencies, the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce demonstrates leadership by advocating for business at all levels of government and promoting our community to make the region a better place to live, work, and do business. The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce is also active in the Wyoming Business & Industry Federation, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Visit cheyennechamber.org for more information.
