Rob Whalen and owner Mark Andol, right, of the Made in America Store, 900 Maple St., Elma, will be among 10 area businesses to be recognized by the Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce when it holds its 65th annual awards dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. Also honored will be Andrea Ball, of Signature Events, Terry Tomczyk, of Terry’s Photo Studio, Aurora Audiology, Body & Soul Boot Camp, Daily’s, Kodiak Jack’s, Larwoods, Pizza Del Aureo’s and Steuben Foods. File Photo The Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce will once again honor individuals in the business world who have made an impact in the local community.

The 65th annual Chamber Awards dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16 at The Old Orchard Inn, 2095 Blakeley Road, Aurora.

Several East Aurora businessmen and women will be recognized this year. Andrea Ball, of Signature Events, and Terry Tomczyk, of Terry’s Photo Studio, will be honored as Chamber Volunteers of the Year. In addition, Aurora Audiology, Body & Soul Boot Camp, Daily’s, Kodiak Jack’s, Larwoods, The Made in America Store, Pizza Del Aureo’s and Steuben Foods will all receive awards.

Trevor Buccieri, who owns Body & Soul Boot Camp, 613 Oakwood Ave., East Aurora, said the recognition from the East Aurora chamber shows he’s doing exactly what he set out to do when he began the fitness and training center in February.

“I wanted to promise A and deliver A through Z,” Buccieri said. “I’m providing customer service. It’s a product, but that product is service.”

He said he’s currently serving approximately 150 current clients.

The Made in America Store’s story began with a loss of business at owner Mark Andol’s General Welding. He lost a contract to a foreign country’s business, and was forced to lay off several of his workers. So instead of seeing them join countless others on unemployment, he opened a store which sells only 100 percent made-in-America goods.

“I really do feel for the employee,” Andol said in April at the store’s opening. “I thought it would be really neat if I could sell American products and employ these people again.”

Since it opened, the store has expanded three times, with the most recent expansion in July.

Aurora Audiology just recently relocated to a new location built specifically for its practice at 97 Hamburg St., East Aurora. The new building recognizes Dr. Leslie Stewart’s 25th year in business with the hearing center.

“The new location allows Aurora Audiology to provide patients with greater convenience through additional testing space, more convenient parking, and dedicated speech therapy and dizziness evaluation rooms,” Stewart said recently.

The event also features a keynote speaker, who addresses the local business community about information pertinent to their success. Recent speakers include Congressman Brian Higgins and Roswell Park Cancer Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Donald Trump. This year, U.S. District Attorney William Hochul will address the attendees.

Tickets are available for presale for $25 per person, and can be purchased by calling the Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce at 652-8444. More information is also available online at the Chamber’s website, www. eanycc. com.

e-mail: tchipp@beenews.com