In what might have been a quieter Chamber of Commerce Gala, attendees, organizers and sponsors had fun at the first-ever virtual event.

Awards were presented in a variety of categories, but not until after attendees picked up their dinner from Hob Nob Catering at the EVIT campus. They took their food home to enjoy, then got busy on Facebook Live to experience the awards presentations remotely.

The gala opened with a montage of the Kentucky Derby, complete with majestic thoroughbreds, plenty of roses and a taste of Churchill Downs. The gala’s theme was “Kentucky Derby,” and participants were invited to dress in their Derby finest and enjoy the program.

Best costume awards went to Sami Jack and Mark Derksen. They both looked as if they were on their way to Louisville, adding to the flavor of the evening.

The awards ceremony began at 8 p.m., with Chamber President and CEO Betsy LaVoie making introductions.

She thanked everyone for participating in the event and for honoring the nominees from their homes. The board of directors was introduced by Chair Bill Hinz, owner of ADERO Scottsdale.

Mayor Ginny Dickey, who presented the Mayor Award to Denise and Louis Mirabella, owners of Chocofin Chocolatier, complimented the chamber for its efforts in making the gala a memorable event.

“Great job Chamber and all who contributed to the “gala” event, and to the nominees and award winners, congratulations, and thank you,” Dickey said in a Facebook post.

Matthew Tilden with Finishing Touch was named Business Person of the Year. Tilden has been active in the community for a number of years and was cited for his customer service and supporting a variety of organizations in Fountain Hills including Rotary, Kiwanis and others. Finishing Touch is one of the longest-standing members of the Chamber, established in 1980.

Other awards went to Alice Novotny owner of Hob Nob Catering (Entrepreneur of the Year); Josh and Karen Logan, owners of Guardian Training and Consulting (Young Professionals of the Year); Fearless Kitty (Non-Profit of the Year); Jason Henslin (Teacher of the Year); and Sharon Grzybowski (Community Volunteer of the Year Award).

Others were Debbie Romano, owner of Healthy Heartbeats (Health Services of the Year); Mark Simon (Chamber Volunteer of the Year); Stephanie Lochner with Sami Fine Jewelry (Customer Service Award); and Debbie Skehen (Chamber Ambassador of the Year).

LaVoie said she was pleased with the outcome of the event.

“I think it went beautifully,” she said. “There were a lot of moving parts, but everyone did such a good job, and we’ve had so many positive responses.”

She said she has heard from other organizations considering pivoting to virtual events.

“I hope we get to have the real gala next year, but I was really pleased with how this turned out,” LaVoie said.

She added that she hopes the chamber is having “live” events well before next year but knows what to do to present a virtual event.