The Featured Chamber Speaker is ‘Awesome With a Capital A’

The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce is bringing a well known college basketball broadcaster to central Kansas.

Chamber President, Eric Brown, as well as Board Chair, Joyce Volk; announced Dick Vitale, College Basketball Analyst, ABC Sports and ESPN talent, will be the featured speaker at the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet, Thursday, February 6, 2020. The banquet will be held in the Arena of the Tony’s Pizza Events Center beginning at 6:30pm. A membership networking reception will be held from 5-6:15pm in Heritage Hall of the Events Center. (Dick Vitale Bio)

Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season—just after the network’s September 1979 launch, following a successful college and pro coaching career. In 2008, Vitale received the sport’s ultimate honor when he was selected as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, he’s been selected for 17 halls of fame across the country. Vitale is also quite the philanthropist. He’s on the Board of Directors of The V Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano.

“The Salina Chamber has been known for its Annual Banquet speakers for years, with all of the energy and momentum happening in Salina, we wanted a speaker that could match that energy and get attendees motivated to be even better in 2020! That is why the committee choose Dick Vitale and he is the perfect choice!” stated Joyce Volk, Chamber Board Chair. “Our members will recognize the man with a 1,000 catch phrases and we look forward to his positive and high energy message as we celebrate 2019.”

The banquet will be held in the arena of the Events Center (seating will consist of tables of eight which includes dinner). Tickets for Chamber members are $60 per person for the banquet. Tickets for non-members are $85 per person for the banquet. Reservations for members and the general public can be made by calling the Chamber office ticket hotline at 1-785-827-9310, ext. 123, stopping by the Chamber office, 120 W. Ash, or email Sandy Cole at [email protected]. Tickets will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A limited number of sponsorships are available. For details regarding the cost and amenities of the sponsorships, persons can contact the Chamber office.

The evening will consist of remarks by outgoing Board Chair Joyce Volk and incoming Chairman James Lambert, a brief review of the Chamber’s accomplishments in 2019, and the address by Dick Vitale.