Editorial: Become part of the community by attending Friday's mixer

Whether you are new to Williams or have resided here for years, if you are looking to become involved in the future of this community, a great way to start is by attending a chamber mixer.

Mixers are hosted frequently by the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. The mixers are typically held at a local business and are always free of charge. Do bring money for the 50/50 drawing. For $5 you can receive six chances to win the 50/50 drawing. During the mixer, a lucky winner of 50 percent of the evening's ticket sales is drawn. The remaining 50 percent is presented to a local charity or event. Grand Canyon Brewing Co. is the sponsor of all 2012 mixers.

The number of Ambassadors is astounding at around 70. Luckily there is no limit to how many members the Ambassadors are allowed to have. Becoming a Chamber Ambassador is easy. All you have to do is ask any Ambassador. There are no membership fees and no monthly meetings. The only requirement is that each member is an enthusiastic supporter of Williams.

The presence of the Ambassadors is felt throughout the community, particularly during special events. The people of Williams are fortunate that special events are offered frequently during the summer. The success of these events rests primarily on the shoulders of the Ambassadors, who donate countless hours of their free time to man posts and offer free information.

If becoming an Ambassador is not appealing to you, your time volunteering at special events is invaluable. Please remember that even if you have only an hour of your time to lend to an event, that one-hour is crucial to the volunteers on the frontline. During just one hour of your time, a volunteer that has been at the event for 10-plus hours may have an opportunity to break free. Imagine how much 50 volunteers with one-hour of time can impact the success of an event. Fifty volunteers with one hour to offer equals an additional 50 hours of volunteer time that may not have been secured previously.

The next mixer begins Friday at 5 p.m. at the Sheridan House Inn, 460 E. Sheridan Ave. Hosts for the evening are Sheridan House owners Nick and Claire Kirby. Proceeds will benefit SAVE-Meant to Rescue.

At any mixer, you will meet community members who care about Williams. These new friends are always seeking more friends along with ideas on how we can improve our community. We'll see you Friday.