The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate 35 years of community service next week.

In celebration, the chamber will host the monthly Business After Hours event at 5 p.m. June 26 at the chamber offices on Ga. 400.

There will be member appreciation activities, hot dogs, drinks and more.

President Linda Williams said the chamber staff is eager to celebrate the organization's milestone with members, ambassadors and community members.

"We are really excited that we are going on 35 years," she said. "So much has happened in those 35 years since only a handful of business owners began meeting. We've grown so much.

"It used to be that we could fit at just two tables when we met. Now we have 50 to 70 people attend our monthly luncheons and 50 to 100 people at Business After Hours monthly," she said.

At its peak, the chamber had more than 500 members, according to officials.

Chairwoman Jennifer Baker said she is proud of how much the chamber continues to grow.

Williams said that when she first remembers attending the chamber meetings in 1994 they were held at Amicalola Falls. Since then they have moved from Forrest Hills Mountain Resort to Gold Creek Golf Club to the North Georgia Premium Outlets to the Lakeview Center.

Each time it was in response to outgrowing the venue's size, she said..

For more information call (706) 265-6278 or stop by the office on Ga. 400 just north of the intersection with Hwy. 53.