Chamber dinner to honor R.I. National Guard

MIDDLETOWN – At its annual dinner later this month, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce will honor the R.I. National Guard for its long history of outstanding community service.
“The R.I. National Guard is essentially the third largest employer in the state,” Keith Stokes, the Newport County Chamber’s executive director, said in a statement. “They do everything from deploying troops in Iraq to helping to implement the Amber Alert System. It is time that their tireless efforts to safeguard country and home are more formally recognized.”
The National Guard was established to provide military support to civilian authorities, helping them to preserve the peace and protect life and property. Since 2001, its Rhode Island division has deployed more than 3,700 members overseas.
“I was thrilled to learn of the Outstanding Community Service Award that will honor the R.I. National Guard,” Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, adjutant general of the R.I. National Guard, said in a statement. “Our troops and support staff work tirelessly and selflessly to support our freedom and the safety of all Rhode Islanders. It is on behalf of these dedicated men, women and their families that I will accept this prestigious award.”
Bray will accept the 2007 Outstanding Community Service Award during a brief pre-dinner presentation during the Newport County Chamber’s Annual Dinner Dance and Silent Auction.
The 6 p.m. event – which attracts business, civic and political leaders from across the state – is slated for Friday, Nov. 16, at the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa. Tickets, $65, are available from Janet Hawkins at 847-1608 or info@newportchamber.com.
For more information about the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, its events and its services, visit www.NewportChamber.com.