New Honorary Mayor, Sandy Hull announced at State of the Chamber dinner

At the annual Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce State of the Chamber dinner held Sept. 16 at Zion Lutheran Church, it was announced that Sandy Hull had raised the most funds in the contest to carry the title of Fallbrook Honorary Mayor for the upcoming year.

"Sandy’s slogan was 'Small Town Girl, Big Town Heart,'" explained Lila MacDonald, chief executive officer of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce. "Like me, she grew up here and has a passion for her community. She raised her family here and owns a business in town."

"I really can't believe we won," Hull said, referring to her partnership with the Senior Citizen's Service Club and its homebound meals program, that also benefited from her fundraising efforts. "Phyllis Sweeney asked me if I would run; that's how it got started. She seemed to have confidence in me, so I felt like I wanted to give it my all."

"[Sandy] feels that every senior should be fed, whether they can afford it or not," said MacDonald. "The homebound meals program received 20 percent of the funds Sandy raised and they were thrilled!"

The tipping point in Hull's campaign came when fellow resident and acclaimed music artist Rita Coolidge agreed to sing in support of her effort.

"We did a very intimate fundraising concert in my backyard and Rita sang," said Hull. "We never would have been able to do what we did if it wasn't for her. She has an incredibly generous spirit for this town also. She puts in a lot of effort for no monetary motivation; it's heartfelt."

In summary, MacDonald said, "I feel [Sandy's] passion and love for her community will make her an excellent ambassador for Fallbrook."

Approaching her 40th year of living in Fallbrook, Hull said, "I am happy to be an advocate for our town and its people. I think it's a magical place to live."

Hull's competitor in the race was Jerry Burke, who was running for a second term. "Jerry's nonprofit partner was the Fallbrook Food Pantry, which also got 20 percent of what he raised; they were thrilled as well," explained MacDonald.

The annual State of the Chamber dinner is designed to bring members and guests up-to-date on current achievements and goals of the chamber, as well as the ongoing effort to increase tourism.

In review, MacDonald, said, "The staff, the board, and I believe that community collaboration is the key to success, as we have seen evidence over the last year. We have seen our community not just survive, but thrive. We are working together to make this not only the Friendly Village, but the best village statewide."

Collaborative efforts over the past year, MacDonald said, have included partnering with the following:

• Bonsall Chamber of Commerce (incl. the Business Expo)
• Fallbrook Village Association (Fallbrook Summer Nights, community revitalization)
• Downtown Merchants Association (four seasons of events)
• North County Fire (9/11 remembrance)
• Sheriff's Dept. (Night Out Against Crime)

*Fallbrook Arts, Fallbrook Vintage Car Club; Fallbrook Historical Society; The Grand Tradition Estate & Garden's July 4^th event; Scarecrow Days; music performances; Christmas in the Village and the Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center's Official Tree Lighting event; VFW - Veteran's Day Parade and Flags Over Fallbrook; and more in assisting them with marketing their events.

"This year we collaborated with businesses and non-profits," explained MacDonald.

She also reviewed all the support services, networking opportunities, and educational opportunities that the chamber provides for its members.

Chamber treasurer Ken Finster provided a financial overview of the organization to the membership.

Martin Quiroz gave the update on tourism efforts in Fallbrook, reviewing the successes of this year's Avocado Festival, Avocado Half Marathon, and Fallbrook Vintage Car Show, which drew large numbers of people into the community.

"The Avocado Half Marathon tripled in size and is a very popular event," Quiroz said. "The organizers plan to make it even better with plans for a downtown finish line."

"The 50th annual Vintage Car Show at Pala Mesa was so busy that they had to open up two other fairways to accommodate all the cars," he noted. "They plan to do it there again and make it better and smoother."

Quiroz also noted the value of Fallbrook Summer Nights, Wine & A Bite Art Walks, and other efforts.

"All the Wine & A Bite Art Walks sold out this year," he said. "They are so popular that we are adding a Harvest Season Wine & A Bite Art Walk on Oct. 23 to complement our Holiday Wine & A Bite Art Walk on Dec. 11."

Celebrating progress in various forms was the theme of this year's overview presented by the Fallbrook Chamber.

"This past year we urged everyone to 'discover your community,'" MacDonald said. "This upcoming year we want you to dive into your passion, get dirty, and dig into what you love! Volunteer, help keep Fallbrook clean, get to know your neighbors, be charitable, and collaborate!"

"We have only seen the beginning; we can’t wait to see what happens next," she said.