PORTSMOUTH- Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom (MSPiB) celebrated another year of triumphs and volunteers, all while fundraising for another, at the annual Celebrate Portsmouth Dinner last week.

When asked what topics should be recognized in the list of 2023 successes, Executive Director Emily Uldrich said there were a lot of progress stories to consider.

“Oh, my. So much has happened in Portsmouth that it is hard to pin down the number one thing,” Uldrich said. “Really, what I’d like to stress the most is that we can’t give enough recognition to our volunteers. All of the time and effort they’ve given in service is so generous and heartwarming to think about when we’re looking at our community as a whole.”

At the dinner, the group awarded three new volunteers with the coveted Ellen Vetter Memorial Service Award. They included Tomi Burns, Cara Dobbins, and Janie Sharp. The three volunteers serve on the beautification committee and donate countless hours per year, attend fundraisers, and spread the word of the mission regularly.

“They [Burns, Dobbins and Sharp] were certainly deserving,” Uldrich said. “It is an amazing amount of hours they put in to downtown beautification. This is their free time, and it is very heartwarming to see people caring for their community so much and wanting to give back.”

The award is named after MSPiB co-founder Ellen Vetter who was an important piece of getting the organization started and operational. Vetter was Burke’s original and most important partner in beautification, a business owner, and event planner for the organization.

Uldrich stepped into the position last April, so this was her first time attending a Celebrate Portsmouth dinner.

“I feel like it’s been such a privilege to serve in this position for almost a year now,” Uldrich said. “It has been such a pleasure to get to know all of the people involved in our organization and all of the different aspects. It was great to be able to recognize our most dedicated volunteers for the year.”

Celebrate Portsmouth featured a dinner, 32 silent auction items, music by Steve Free, the award ceremony, a presentation by Councilman Andy Cole, and more. 28 sponsors and over 200 individuals enjoyed the evening.

“Andy is amazing and is so charming and funny,” Uldrich said. “He did such a great job with engaging the audience with everything Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom does for downtown Portsmouth in a way that was very humorous. It was a great speech.”

Ultimately, Celebrate Portsmouth is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers of the year, designed to raise funds that allows their mission to continue each year, from beautification to events and programming.

With 32 auction items and 28 sponsors, the event was considered a success by Uldrich who commented, “It was a very successful fundraiser; we’ll leave it at that.”

The group is now working with a volunteer committee to organize the 2024 chapter of the Paul E and Kevin W Johnson Memorial Soiree, which is a fundraiser for the group’s beautification efforts. The soiree will be special this year, as it will serve as a celebration of life for Kevin W, who passed last year after being an instrumental part in the group’s fundraising and development success.

Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom is a 501©3 nonprofit serving the community, with an emphasis on downtown Portsmouth, through many means of development, beautification, events, programming, and more while partnering with countless nonprofits and businesses to improve the future for people to live, work, and play. The group is housed in the Community Action Organization of Scioto County Welcome Center, alongside groups like the Portsmouth Area Visitor’s Bureau and Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about the organization, visit them on Facebook or online at www.mspohio.org.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.