By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Chamber is seeking donated auction items for its fifth-annual Boots & Bow Ties fundraiser event next month.

The 2019 Boots & Bow Ties event will benefit the Chamber’s expanded career readiness programming, including Keeping It Real for ninth grade students, Connect 2 Careers for 10^th grade students and Communication Matters for 11^th grade students, along with the annual student scholarships and teacher stipends the Chamber awards each April during its Student and Teacher of the Year program.

“What’s more, we’re hoping to expand our Ready to Work elective class for 12^th grade students – that we’ve launched in four schools this year ­– to all of our schools for the 2020-2021 school year,” Manager of Community and Career Development Pari Barzegari said.

Boots & Bow Ties was created by the former South Shelby Chamber of Commerce, which merged with the former Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce in January 2019 to form The Shelby County Chamber.

“Because of the positive impact and the purpose which Boots & Bow Ties has in the community, this was one of the programs everyone agreed needed to be continued when the two organizations came together,” Chamber President and CEO Kirk Mancer said.

The 2019 Boots & Bow Ties event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the new Old Mill Square facility in Columbiana from 5:30-7 p.m.

Tickets are $20 per person and are available to the public.

The deadline to make reservations or contribute auction items is Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.

Individuals may make payment for auction items and tickets to “The Greater Shelby County Community Foundation,” the Chamber’s nonprofit foundation.

For more information, call The Shelby County Chamber office at (205) 663-4542.