Parade, Patriotism, and Pride

The Franklin County Honors produced another top-class Veterans’ Day celebration this past Saturday (view the full parade here via the City of Ottawa). Along with the parade, our entire community comes together to rally behind our veterans with the hanging of veteran banners and American flags that stretch down Main Street. All this leading up to the 11th, where as a nation, we thank all those who have served our country. I’m proud to live in a community that recognizes the sacrifice of those in our armed forces.

Help Us Celebrate Ottawa’s Best

It’s that time of year again when we get to shine a spotlight on the incredible people who make Ottawa such a special place to call home. The Chamber is now accepting nominations for our 2025 Annual Awards and Banquet, and we need your help in identifying those standouts who have gone above and beyond for our community over the past year. We have five award categories, each designed to honor a different type of service and leadership. You can learn more about each award and access the nomination forms here (view those here).

This annual banquet is a ton of fun, and really is a night of celebration for the entire community. Oftentimes, our busyness can get the best of us, and we forget to commemorate our own accomplishments. This night is built to do exactly that! Help us recognize our neighbors, colleagues, and community heroes who’ve stepped up in 2025. If someone has made a meaningful impact, big or small, we’d love to hear their story. Nominations are awarded by a committee composed of past Russell Crites winners. These awards will then be presented at Ottawa University on January 29, 2025. Your nomination could help us recognize someone truly deserving. Click the link to submit yours now (nomination forms here).

Franklin County Unveils 1892 Time Capsule Ahead of Holiday Celebration

Exciting things came out of the Franklin County Courthouse this week (literally), as staff worked with a contracted restoration company to remove a time capsule that was placed in the cornerstone pillar back in 1892 (pictures here). On July 4th, over 130 years ago, Franklin County residents were ecstatic to witness the construction of their new county courthouse. With that, artifacts from the era were also included in a sealed copper box. All with the hope that this history would be preserved and cherished in the distant future.

With restoration taking place on the courthouse over the course of this fall, the company managing these improvements offered to help play a role in this immense history. They made a financial commitment to help with the removal and replacement of the time capsule at a price too reasonable to pass up. As a result, Franklin County has removed the 1892 capsule and placed it on display in the courthouse for the public to view. On Thursday, December 4th, this capsule will be opened to see the materials that were left over a century ago. The public is invited to join in the festivities and be part of history, as Franklin County hosts a holiday celebration on this day (learn more here).

As I mentioned earlier, the removal of the capsule is just the first step. Franklin County has committed to replacing the time capsule for a future generation to uncover. What’s needed are suggestions on what to fill it with! Ideas are open for submission until November 20th (submit ideas here). What a neat way to leave a legacy and share a glimpse into what makes our area special today, in 2025.

Ottawa Businesses Gear Up for FIFA World Cup

Earlier this year, the Chamber formed an Ad Hoc Committee to focus on the impact the World Cup will have on our area in the summer of 2026. As we have attended meetings throughout the metro about this topic, we’ve continued to learn about what this means to Ottawa and Franklin County. To disseminate this information to the broader community, we hosted a community conversation on this topic on Wednesday night, providing an opportunity for businesses and engaged citizens to learn more (picture here).

This hour and a half featured members from the KU Small Business Development Center discussing business readiness, a panel of OU international students sharing their perspectives on different cultural norms, and a representative from the Kansas Department of Commerce providing an update and sharing resources about the upcoming tournament. Thanks to splendid work by the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium, this can be watched back at any time (view that here). Tiffany Evans acted as our Emcee, and Noah White ran our tech, which made for a smooth and educational evening. A huge shoutout to the OMA and all the speakers who played a role in making the evening a success.

This conversation was not meant to be entirely conclusive, but rather a launching off point for our community to think about what is yet to come, and how we might be able to take hold of the opportunity―the conversation is just getting started! The Chamber’s role is to convene interested parties, share resources, and help make next summer a period of economic prosperity. Let me know if you’d like to get plugged in!

Whether you want to jump all in or not, there are still resources for you to take from Wednesday night’s conversation. Obviously, the recording is available to be watched back (view that here). But along with that, we have compiled resources that KC2026 and the Department of Commerce have made available to help you get started. View those below and find a list of links here (all these links are available here).

The KC2026 Gameplan is a region-wide small business readiness initiative. It helps local organizations assess their preparedness, identify where they might fit into the tournament economy, and offers tools, such as a readiness assessment, business interest form, and RFI/RFP listings.
ConnectKS is a statewide platform launched by the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Small Business Office to simplify access to resources for Kansas small businesses—everything from licensing and mentoring to grants and training.
The TravelKS page allows organizations to submit their events and business info to be listed on the statewide tourism calendar and in their respective community profiles. This helps promote local attractions, so they’re seen by visitors and residents alike. It was also mentioned that this business information will be imported into the FIFA World Cup app that travelers will use to find out more about the areas they’re venturing to.
The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) World Cup Portal supports the region’s preparation for the World Cup by coordinating community events centered around the tournament or soccer as a sport. FIFA will also utilize this and these listings have the opportunity to reach a larger audience.
Finally, the World Class Welcome Guide (via the Kansas Department of Commerce) is a webinar series and conference offering cultural-insight tools, hospitality training, menu design for international guests, customer service strategies, etc., so Kansas businesses are ready to welcome global visitors.

FCCF Turns 25 with Community-Focused Fundraising Challenge

We were hosted by the Franklin County Community Foundation (FCCF) this morning at our Friday morning Chamber Coffee (pictures here). The FCCF is marking 25 years of serving our community and has marked this celebratory milestone with a community initiative. This looks like a month-long effort to raise $100,000 for seven participating organizations: Hope House, Franklin County Historical Society, Franklin County United Way, Life Care Center, Ottawa Library, Blessing Box Foundation, and FRETSA (pictures here). The reason why this month-long goal of $100,000 is so important is that the Patterson Family Foundation has committed to matching this dollar amount. This means that $100,000 would be gifted to the FCCF, with $50,000 of this directly impacting these seven organizations, in addition to the original 100k donated. This presents a significant opportunity to positively impact our area and the clients served by these nonprofit organizations. If there was ever a time to give, there is no better time than the next couple of weeks!

This morning’s conversation also provided attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the FCCF (view the flyer here). Formed in 2000 with the idea that charitable giving should be shared broadly, the Foundation has grown steadily. They now manage more than $8.3 million in assets, including an endowment that supports annual contributions to local organizations. They offer educational scholarships, connect donors to causes they care about, and provide the structure and tax advantages of a public charity, along with partnering with the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation for investment and administrative support. Over the past quarter-century, the Foundation has awarded 246 scholarships, totaling more than $784,000 and provided 62 grants to 29 local organizations, with discretionary grants totaling about $268,000. Another $876,000 has been distributed through restricted accounts, bringing total grants and scholarships to just under $2 million. Their support has reached a wide range of groups: libraries, historical societies, health and aging services, animal shelters, youth programs, civic groups, and more. These volunteers who serve on this board do so to increase charitable giving and address community needs across Franklin County.

It is undeniable that this mission is being lived out. This partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation is just another example of how the FCCF serves our community. Jim Huschka, sitting President, stated that if you’re interested in getting involved with this community organization, they would love to chat further (email here). Friendly reminder, there are only 16 more days to have your gift matched!

If you went outside Tuesday evening, you likely got a glimpse of the northern lights all the way down here in Ottawa. Aurora Borealis is often seen in higher latitude regions, but was stretched to our area―offering a free light show. It was great seeing pictures posted throughout social media, but if you haven’t seen this timelapse from Steel House Photography, check it out here (view that timelapse here). Absolutely incredible!

Along with the beautiful views in the night sky, our office was surprised by the sight of a stunning new ring for the newly engaged JieJie Burleson, our newest employee (photos here)! This past weekend, her now fiancé, Eli Matthias, popped the question while they were on vacation in Colorado. Sherri and I are incredibly excited for them as they move into this new stage of life together. If you want to send a congratulations message to JieJie, email her here (email here).

Hopefully you soak up this beautiful fall weather this weekend. Talk to you soon,

Ryland Miller

President/CEO

Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

ryland@ottawakansas.org

785-242-1000