The Gwinnett Chamber Foundation will host its inaugural Power of Impact Gala and Awards on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at Bear’s Best at 5342 Aldeburgh Drive, Suwanee. The evening will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and awards at 7 p.m.
The Power of Impact Gala celebrates those small businesses and leaders fueling Gwinnett’s economic growth and community impact. Proceeds benefit the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation, whose mission is to support and accelerate small business growth and opportunity across the region.
The program will feature recognition of these honorees:
- Dr. Willian “Bill” Russell –Legacy Business Leader of the Year;
- Georgia Power – Corporate Champion of the Year;
- LISC/Verizon – Corporate Advocate of the Year;
- Ferdinand & Stacy Risco – Coaches of the Year; and
- Real-time announcements of the GCF Getting Certified and Accelerator Cohort Members of the Year
Deirdra Cox, executive director of the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation, says: “The Foundation’s work centers on empowering small businesses – those that have cleared the early hurdles and are two-years in with $250K in gross receipts – to scale, compete, and thrive. Every sponsorship and ticket purchased directly supports that mission and fuels Gwinnett’s continued growth.”
Gwinnett Stripers launching Hooked on Books
The Gwinnett Stripers are launching Hooked on Books, the team’s first-ever free reading program for elementary-aged students across Gwinnett County.
Students who “round the bases” and read four books during the program will receive two (2) free tickets to a designated 2026 Gwinnett Stripers game. Teachers and staff at participating schools are also eligible for free tickets.
Schools have two ways to participate in Hooked on Books:
- Campus Assembly: Gwinnett Stripers’ mascot Chopper the Groundhog and his friends will host an on-campus, 30-minute “pep-rally” style education assembly to get students excited about the Hooked on Books program (available only to schools within a 15-mile radius of Coolray Field).
- Virtual Participation: The Stripers will provide a Hooked on Books hype video to get students excited about the reading program, as well as instructions on how to participate.
Materials to track student progress will be provided to schools in advance of their chosen assembly date (between January 12 and March 16). The deadline for students to complete the reading program is April 1. For more information or to register your school to participate, visit GoStripers.com.
County opens small part on Singleton Road
County officials cut the ribbon recently for Singleton Park and Greenway in Norcross, marking the completion of a project that transformed the former Singleton Road Activity Building into a new community space.
Located on Singleton Road, the park spans more than two acres and features a playground, a covered picnic area, restroom facilities, a 41-space parking lot and a ¾-mile,12-foot-wide concrete multiuse trail that connects Singleton Road to Dickens Road.
The trail enhancement is part of the 2018 Gwinnett Trails Countywide Trails Master Plan’s initiative to link Norcross to Lilburn, offering residents improved access to outdoor recreation. Additionally, an internal loop trail connects to the surrounding neighborhood.
The project also features a 2,600-square-foot mural conceptualized by local youth and community members, led by Art in Motion and artist Ken Dushane. Art in Motion received a Gwinnett Creativity Fund Placemaking Grant to complete the mural and beautify the space. Funding for the $6.4 million project included contributions from the 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program, the County’s Recreation Fund, the state of Georgia’s Improving Neighborhood Outcomes and Disproportionately Impacted Communities Grant and a Community Development Block Grant.
