The History of Shining Stars

The Shining stars gala honors individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact in Chicopee and surrounding communities of Western Massachusetts. Each year, the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Nominating Committee gathers and thoughtfully selects these nominees in the following four categories:

Citizen of the Year (since 1985), Business of the Year (since 1989), 

Volunteer of the Year (since 1993) and Nonprofit of the Year (since 2014).

Annually, an awards gala is held to bestow these awards and thanks to the selected nominees, to recognize their achievements and what they do for the community. Shining Stars is the largest chamber event of the year, filled with gratitude and standing ovations; it is truly an event to remember. Below is a listing of all past Shining Stars Awards Recipients, dating back to the first Citizen of the Year Award in 1985. The Business of the Year Award began in 1989, The Volunteer of the Year Award began in 1993, and the Non-Profit of the Year Award began in 2014. 'N/A' in an award category indicates if that was not yet an award; it may also indicate if the Shining Stars Gala did not take place that Year (1990 - 1991).