The chance to nominate businesses and outstanding individuals for a Bluffton Business Award comes to an end Thursday, December 10th. Finalists will be announced on December 17th with awards set to presented at the Bluffton Ball January 8th at the Bluffton Rotary Community Center.

The Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has organized both the Bluffton Business Awards and Bluffton Ball to celebrate Bluffton. Individuals and companies in the community who have made a difference, and exemplify what it means to be a Blufftonian will be celebrated.

The Awards center around businesses in and around Bluffton that strive each day to improve the life and image of our city. This is a time for those benefiting from their efforts to give back to the people and organizations who have made Bluffton a better place.

Eleven awards will be given to local business owners. So far, over 100 businesses have been nominated for awards, including Business of the Year, Non-Profit Organization of the Year, and more. The Chamber has been impressed by the overwhelming response thus far.

“Businesses in Bluffton are more than just a place people go to get things they need. They are a part of our city’s soul,” said Shellie West, Founder and CEO of the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. “We are thrilled to have a chance to show them how much they mean to us.“

The Chamber encourages participants to nominate individuals as well as businesses for awards such as Rookie of the Year, Outstanding Person of the Year, and Educator/Professional Development Person of the Year. This will ensure that all people in Bluffton deserving of recognition will have a chance to be honored at the event.

Businesses and individuals must first be nominated in order to be eligible to win. More information can be found at blufftonbusinessawards.com. The awards committee will then select finalists.  The final day for business nominations is December 10th with finalists being announced December 17th.

The Ball is the first of its kind for Bluffton - a celebration of Bluffton’s best, where community members and leaders can come together. The event will feature live entertainment, a lobster roll bar and prime rib dinner prepared by the 2015 Taste of Bluffton winner Lowcountry Rocks Lobster, and the presentation of the Bluffton Business Awards on January 8th.

Following the award presentations, the night will finish with live music by Harden & Crenshaw and dancing. Tickets for the event are available for purchase online at blufftonball.com, or via the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce headquarters.