Milestones always seem to be a time to reflect.
Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, big event, or reaching a goal, there’s always that moment at the end of the day where we pause to look back.
Last spring, the Chamber’s Rooster Booster Breakfast celebrated its 60th birthday. This spring, it reached a new milestone: one full year of virtual programming. Twelve whole months of remote Rooster Boosters. As we wrapped up the program on April 1, I was overwhelmed with the impact of that number.
The milestone of a full year of remote Rooster Boosters was one we never thought we’d have to hit. But we also didn’t expect the programs to be so successful. Virtual programming allowed us to feature speakers who wouldn’t normally be able to join us at 7:30 a.m. in Owensboro, and we found the program was being watched and shared by thousands online — far greater than our previous in-person attendance of several hundred.
Yet virtual events are not without their difficulties, as we’re all aware. As I reflected on the challenges and hours of planning, I quickly shifted to thinking of those 12 months as a whole. A year ago, all of our lives pivoted and took turns that we never could have imagined. But we have all shown resilience. Despite adversity, our community joined together in so many incredible ways.
Passing the one-year mark, we can’t forget that community mindset as we focus onward and look forward to being together again in person. Moving forward means each of us continuing to do our part to keep Owensboro open as we carry on in our fight against the pandemic. Getting vaccinated, masking and social distancing are all key to keeping our community safe. And a healthy and thriving community also means ensuring that our local businesses are flourishing. Shopping local is crucial — always — and especially as we all begin to venture out more this spring.
For many people in Owensboro, myself certainly included, Rooster Booster signals the start of each new month. There’s a sense of renewal, a month’s worth of days ahead with endless possibilities. Although the event has been different throughout the past year, its purpose has remained steadfast: connecting and engaging people to move through each month with a sense of community. United for the common good, we can see that each of our actions have power to impact those around us and Owensboro as a whole.
We’re all moving forward one month at a time. And we’re beginning each one just as our community has for the past 60 years — together.