Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce to Celebrate Shining Stars

CHICOPEE — The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce will host its Shining Stars Gala on Friday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. As a celebration of storytelling, the 2025 event is themed “Once Upon a Time in Chicopee.” Thanks to the support of ChicopeeTV, for the first time, the awards portion of the evening will be livestreamed beginning at 7:45 p.m. on ChicopeeTV’s channels and platforms.

“This annual event has always been about more than the awards,” said Marie Laflamme, city treasurer and chair of the chamber’s Shining Stars event committee. “It’s about the people who write the next chapter for our community with their actions, their leadership, and their generosity. Every honoree the chamber has ever recognized has played a part in shaping Chicopee’s story, ensuring that the best days of our city are not just in the past, but still to come.”

This year marks 40 years since the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce recognized Ernest Laflamme Jr. as the first Citizen of the Year in 1985. This year’s recipients are Health New England as Nonprofit of the Year, the Springfield Thunderbirds as Business of the Year, Ashley Batlle as Volunteer of the Year, and AJ Crane as Citizen of the Year.

The evening’s emcees are public relations consultant and commentator Anthony Cignoli and former Chicopee Chamber President Debra Boronski. Past-recipient medallions will be presented to 2024 honorees Daryl Grabowski, Ashley Kohl, Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, and Mercedes-Benz of Springfield.