“Best of Davie” Award Winners Announced at Davie Chamber Awards Gala

The Davie County Chamber of Commerce held its 48^th Annual Awards Gala and Annual Meeting on Tuesday, February 20^th at WinMock in Bermuda Run. The evening began with a welcome reception of networking and mingling followed by a delicious dinner in the loft.  The Awards Gala is the Chamber’s opportunity to highlight achievements of the past year and to honor the recipients of their signature awards:  the Business of the Year Award and E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award.  The “Best of Davie” award winners were also announced with the top ten Davie businesses receiving awards.

This year’s event included an informative presentation by John Eller, County Manager for Davie who spoke about the key elements of the county’s strategic plan which is due to be released shortly.  Next, guest speaker Davie Moore, owner of Chick-Fil-A, shared their company story and talked about the importance of investing in employees through training and education.

“The Davie Chamber hosts the Annual Awards Gala to celebrate the successes of the year and to honor businesses and individuals who do so much to make our community a great place to live and work,” said Carolyn McManamy, President of the Davie County Chamber of Commerce. “Once again, this year’s event was sold out, and we enjoyed a fantastic night of celebrating our Business of the Year and EC Tatum Award Winner as well as Best of Davie Winners.”

Graham Funeral Home, Inc. — Davie County 2017 Business of the Year
The 2017 Business of the Year award was presented to Dorothy Graham of Graham Funeral Home by her daughter, Dr. Regina Graham. Dorothy began a career in funeral service in 1957 and opened her own funeral home in May 1997 in Mocksville, becoming the first licensed female funeral director in Davie County.

Celebrating 20 years in business, Graham Funeral Home offers funeral service, cremations, limousine service, life insurance, notary service, and monuments. Joining Dorothy in operating the family business are her husband, Nelson Graham, daughters Angela Graham-Robinson and Dr. Regina Graham, sons-in-law, Elder Raymond Robinson and Raphael Hauser. Grandsons Ryan (12) and Joshua (7) will greet you at the entrance with a smile and welcome you to come inside.

Actively involved in the community, Graham Funeral Home sponsors the Dorothy Graham Scholarship, the annual Black History Program in Mocksville, and is a sponsor of the annual Memorial Day Program in Mocksville to honor Davie County Veterans.

Dorothy also has served on numerous boards and committees and through a number of civic organizations.

Michael Gunning — Recipient of the 2017 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award!
The 2017 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award was presented to Michael Gunning by Krystal Dumas, director of Just Hope, Inc. A tireless supporter of the homeless in Davie County, Michael has contributed both his time and money.  An original member of the Board of Directors for Just Hope, Inc., Michael has purchased single-wide mobile homes for homeless women and children in Davie County and recently provided a grocery cart full of turkeys so that families assisted by Just Hope could enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

The Triad Senior Social Club he founded has donated thousands of dollars to Just Hope as well as contributed to Kids of Childhood Cancer in Kernersville, Unchained Winston in Winston Salem, Ruff Love in Jonestown, the Clemmons Food Bank, and many other organizations.

Despite battling a serious illness, Michael continues to dedicate his time and energy to help people in Davie County.

During her speech, Dumas said, “I admire him for his strength, the wisdom he shares, and the way he makes people feel like they matter.”

2017 Best of Davie Awards:
“Best of Davie Awards were designed to give our community a voice in who they believe are the best businesses in Davie County,” McManamy said. “This year we changed the format to cast a wider net, so to speak.  We eliminated categories so that any Davie County business was eligible to win a “Best of Davie” Award. All members of the community were invited to vote for their top three favorites, and more than 2000 online ballots were submitted.”

The 2017 Best of Davie awards were presented by Kyle & Elizabeth Swicegood of Century 21 & The Swicegood Group.

The top 10 businesses for 2017  

# 1: Restaurant 101

#2: Sarah Ashley Salon

#3: The Country Veterinary Hospital

#4: Snyder’s Cleaning Service

#5: Honor Darling

#6: Gemini Hair & Nail Fashions

#7: O’Callahan’s Publick House

#8: Ketchie Creek Bakery & Café

#9: The Factory Coffeehouse

#10:  Styled Gatherings

Honorable Mention: Southern Ties Boutique

Please join us in congratulating all the Award Winners and thanking them for all they do to make Davie County a great community for us all.

For over 48 years the Davie Chamber has served the business community throughout Davie County and the towns of Mocksville, Bermuda Run and Cooleemee.  With professional staff, dedicated volunteers and an involved Board of Directors, the Davie Chamber continues to promote the economic and civic interests and provide leadership on issues which impact the economy and quality of life in Davie County.  For information about the Davie Chamber please contact chamber@daviecounty.com or call 336.751.3304.

All photos courtesy Kathy Miller of One Shot Photography