Is your business in a rut? Do you find yourself doing the same things week after week? Do you want to meet new people? Do you want to help the community in which you live or work? Do you want to do your part to help the schools in our area?

The Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce can help you with all the above and more. Now is the perfect time to get involved in the chamber, and by doing so you will help your business, meet new people, help the community and do your part to improve our schools.

The Chamber has some great events coming up which you to attend, or better yet, volunteer to help at. Our first mixer of the year is Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Armenian Relief Society, 2633 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose. These business mixers usually get between 50-60 local business owners who attend. Most of these people who attend are tied to our town in many ways. It is a perfect way to meet the people that help shape the Crescenta Valley and to learn about the wonderful things going on around town. We would love volunteers to help check people into the event as well.

The following mixer, March 9, will be at Bob Smith Toyota, 3333 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta, and will be filled with good food and good cheer while we kick off the month of the Smart-a-Thon.

What is the Smart-a-Thon you ask? It is a trivia-type game luncheon event. On Wednesday, March 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 40 teams of four people each (community leaders, local businesses owners and educators) will gather at Verdugo Hills Hospital to test their knowledge of subjects such as, “What is the average life span of a dollar bill?” and “How long can a Flamingo stand on one leg?” Many of the questions do not really require you to be “smart,” but just smart enough to know you want to make a difference. All donations from this event are invested in a fund that is used to award grants every year to non-profit organizations towards education in our community.

Call our office to get involved, submit your team, join us for lunch or volunteer your time to help.

If that is not enough for you, then join us at the Santa Anita Race Track on Sunday, March 20, when the chamber teams up with the Sheriffs Support Group for a Day at the Races.

Also mark your calendars now for our 6th Annual Hometown Country Fair to be held at CV Park on Saturday, April 16.

We have many events, many ways to get involved, many opportunities to grow your business and many ways to “do more than your duty, finish a neck ahead and win the race.”

Important dates: Feb. 9 – Business mixer at Armenian Relief Society; March 9 – Business mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 20 – Day at the Races; March 23 – Smart-a-Thon; April 16 – Hometown Country Fair. Please call our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957 / crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd. Suite D.