The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the winners of the organization’s 76th annual Community Awards. An awards dinner will take place on Feb. 15 at Kloc’s Grove in West Seneca.
Business of the Year, Great Lakes Pizza Company: Family and community mean the world to the staff at Great Lakes Pizza Company, sponsors of numerous events across West Seneca and WNY. Recently, they have supported golf tournaments, 5k runs, youth hockey initiatives, the SPCA, school reading programs, and countless benefits for individual and group causes. The Great Lakes Pizza team also raised and donated more than $10,000 to the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center!
Chamber Member of the Year, William Cleary & Vigilant Fire Company: Fire Commissioner William Cleary has served West Seneca for over 30 years, answering more than 16,000 EMS, fire and rescue calls. But 2022 was perhaps the busiest year of all for Commissioner Cleary and the dedicated Vigilant volunteers, who oversaw a beautiful renovation of their building and hosted Halloween and Christmas events for families in our community … all while keeping us safe and informed.
Citizen of the Year, Gary Dickson: In addition to a career serving country and town, Gary Dickson is very active in our community and is a proud member of the West Seneca Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and Queen of Heaven Church, and a board member for the Family Justice Center. A compassionate neighbor, dedicated volunteer, and a strong advocate for youth and seniors, Gary is also considered by many as our town’s number one ambassador!
Community Service Organization of the Year, West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee: The work of the West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee can be seen all over town and includes the Walkway of Freedom in Veterans Park, overseeing the engraved brick program recognizing local service members, spearheading the Veterans/Military Banner Program, organizing the town’s annual Memorial Day ceremony and much more. Chaired by James Manley, we salute this committee for their dedicated service to both town and country!
Educator of the Year, Franco DiPasqua: An educator for 27 years and a dedicated employee of the West Seneca Central School District for more than 15 years, Franco DiPasqua currently serves as director of Mathematics, Science and Federal Title Grants. His love for education and creating an optimal learning environment for students is his number one priority. Through the power of education and building relationships, he has affected the lives of thousands of young people over the years.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Evan Czamara: The very first winner of this brand new Chamber award, 22-year-old Evan Czamara is already making a name for himself in the West Seneca business community where he owns and operates two Fudd’s House of Munch food trucks, operates the snack bar in Wimbledon Lanes and is part owner of LE’s Automotive on Center Road. Starting these businesses during a global pandemic was no easy task, but Evan hit the ground running and has never looked back!
The West Seneca Chamber of Commerce would like to thank our 2023 Community Award sponsors, including Beyond Print Solutions; EFPR Group LLP, CPAs – Raymond M. Nowicki, CPA, Partner; Financial Trust Federal Credit Union; GEICO Local Office West Seneca; Great Lakes Insurance Services Group, LLC; Law Office of Paul Notaro; M&T Bank; NRT Sales; Seneca Health Care Center; Sgroi Financial, LLC; Tompkins Insurance Agencies; and Western New York Federal Credit Union.
For information on tickets for the Feb. 15 dinner, event sponsorship or advertising in the event program, please contact the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce at 674-4900.
An independent, nonprofit business organization, the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce is located in the West Seneca Community Center & Library at 1300 Union Road. Please visit westseneca.org for more information, or follow the Chamber on social media for frequent updates.
