Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES— The city of Hermann and Gasconade County will host Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) 2018 annual dinner and award ceremony on Oct. 25 at the Hermann Hill Wedding and Convention Center.

Each year, MRPC requests proposals from cities and counties in the Meramec Region to host the annual dinner event, where volunteers from across the region are honored for their contributions to their communities and the region. The MRPC board evaluates proposals and selects the location based on various criteria.

“Volunteers are a tremendous resource in our rural areas,” MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge said. “It is through volunteers that things get accomplished and things happen. Recognizing their efforts in the region is the very least we can do for the work they accomplish. Our annual dinner highlights some of the best volunteer efforts and hopefully inspires others to serve and provides an idea for an activity or program in another community. We will also recognize some youth volunteers in hopes of encouraging other youth to volunteer in their communities and to promote life-long volunteerism.”

Residents in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties may purchase tickets at a cost of $25 to attend the dinner and awards ceremony. Dinner will include teriyaki pork loin and a beef brisket in a Jack Daniel’s glaze as the entre.

Hermann Hill Wedding and Convention Center last hosted MRPC’s annual dinner in 2012.

Award recipients will be announced soon, and MRPC will begin taking reservations for the event in September.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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