The Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce will hold a Chamber After-Hours at Wisteria Hall next Thursday June 18, celebrating this spring's successful membership drive that brought 31 new members to the Chamber.

The membership drive brings Chamber membership up to 180, and board members say that people join for a variety of reasons. "People are joining the Chamber not only to promote their business, but to support their community," said Chamber board president Allan Soto. "People are joining because they realize the success of their neighboring businesses positively affects their own success and raises the quality of life. People take pride in their community, and like me, feel it's their duty to join the chamber as a way of giving back."

As a relative newcomer to the Wilkes County business scene, Soto said he is a good example of how the Chamber helps businesses.

When he chose to start his personal care home in Wilkes County two years ago, Soto said, he felt that he immediately had a partner. "The community and its citizens came together, welcoming and embracing me," he said. "My success was their success, and my failures were their failures. The support and encouragement I received was incredible and I know the success I've had thus far would not have been possible if not for the community."

Serving on the Chamber board was a way of paying that back. "By assuming the responsibility of the board president of the Chamber of Commerce," he said, "it's my goal not only to support our citizens and businesses, but also to promote the Wilkes County culture. I know that if individuals and businesses knew the reception they'd receive and the built-in support system that Washington-Wilkes residents give you, there would be no shortage of people flocking to our county."

Chamber board treasurer Ed Pope III points out that the Chamber is also vital in supporting the Regional Visitor Information Center and the WashingtonWilkes.org website. "We're still getting a tremendous number of visitors in town," he said, "and requests on the website for tourism packets have increased 71 percent since early 2008."

The web site received almost 2,700 hits from 12 countries in just the first five days of June, he said. "Most of the traffic is on our Calendar of Events page, followed by Accommodations and then the Chamber of Commerce page that has our membership directory listed by their respected trade/industry. People are looking at our member businesses."

The next Chamber After-Hours is set at Wisteria Hall next Thursday evening, June 18 from 5:30 to 7:30. Sponsored by the Washington Rotary Club, the after-hours is open to anyone interested in joining the chamber.