News

05/20/2008
     The Wilcox Area Chamber Crappie Derby ended on May 18, 2008. The first ever event was a smashing success with over 825 entry tickets sold and 16 of the tagged fish redeemed. Area businesses reported a big increase in sales during the derby and Board Chairman William Malone states that the 2009 Derby is already being planned. Area bait shops had a hard time keeping minnows in stock throughout the 30 day event as anglers traveled from near and far to try their luck at the tagged fish, with values ranging from $100 to$25,000. See all the details at this link.
04/20/2008
     On April 19th the Chamber put together the largest crappie tournament ever known to be held on Lake Dannelly. Two hundred and two anglers participated in the tournament and Thomasville, Alabama's Tracy Jackson took home the top prize of $1000 for a 2.30 pound crappie. See all the details at this link.
04/06/2008
     The Black Belt Treasures Trail Ride and Treasure Hunt was canceled due to heavy rains that fell in the area the Friday night prior to the event and during the morning on Saturday. The event is expected to be planned for the spring of 2009. Please tell your horse riding friends to keep this event in mind for next spring.
      The twenty two riders that showed up regardless of the adverse conditions had a great ride nevertheless and were not deterred by the misting rain.
03/05/2008
     The Chamber is working on three big events this spring and summer. The Black Belt Treasures Trail Ride and Treasure Hunt will be held south of Camden, Alabama on April 5th. Even if you don't have a horse you will want to come hear Paul Dailey with Wild Horse Ministries and see some fine horsemanship. This is a great event for the whole family.
      On April 19th the Chamber is sponsoring a Big Fish Crappie Tournament on Miller's Ferry Lake (Lake Dannelly). This event will serve as a kick off for a 30-day Crappie Derby with $60,000 worth of tagged crappie released into the lake.
       The 2nd Annual Wilcox Riverbank Festival will return on June 27th and 28th. You will not want to miss a great evening of music and food at the Roland Cooper State Park on Friday evening. Saturday will feature the Folk Life Festival at Black Belt Treasures and Saturday evening returns the popular fireworks show at East Bank Park overlooking the lake.
       See the Events page of this site for information on all of these coming events!

01/01/2008
     The Chamber sponsored a Holiday Cruise on the Gee's Bend Ferry on the evening of Dec. 27th. Over 120 passengers enjoyed an evening cruise along the river as well as a fireworks show by Hollis, Glenda, Sandy, and Mark Curl.

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12/15/2007
     World War II veterans served as Grand Marshals of the 2007 Camden Christmas Parade.

Click here for the photo album! Thanks to all who attended and participated.
It was another great event.

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07/01/2007
     The inaugural Wilcox Riverbank Festival was held on June 29th and 30th. The weekend began with a jazz concert, sponsored by the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce, on Friday evening at the Roland Cooper State Park. Area restaurants and organizations sold tasty meals to the crowd of approximately 300 people who came to enjoy the great evening affair.
      During the day on Saturday, a Folk Life Festival was held at Black Belt Treasures in Camden. Area craftsmen and artists were on hand throughout the day giving demonstrations. The event featured bluegrass music and great food as well.
      During the mid afternoon a dedication of the first mural commemorating the Gees Bend Stamps was unveiled in Gees Bend. A contingent of supporters rode the ferry over from Camden and joined a great crowd in Boykin for the unveiling.



      On Saturday evening an estimated crowd of 4,000 gathered at the East Bank Park from 5pm to dark for the Fireworks Festival. Area talent performed on stage through the evening. The children were entertained with lots of games and the crowd was treated to a fly-in by the Life Flight helicopter. At dark, a spectacular fireworks show lit up the night to the enjoyment of all.
        The Chamber wishes to thank all who were a part of planning, promoting, and carrying out this great event. We look forward to seeing everyone back for the 2008 event.

Click the logo above to view pictures
of the weekend's events!

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03/11/2007
     Alabama Land Partners held a "Pre-Construction Grand Opening" on March 10th for their new "River View Landing" development. The sale for the lots in this new development along the banks of beautiful Lake Dannelly drew well over a hundred prospective buyers. The Industrial Development Authority leased space for the event at the new industrial park site. Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce representatives were on hand to distribute brochures about the local area and welcome the buyers to Wilcox County.

       The new development features 1 to 7 acre parcels along the lake in the Canton Bend area, just north of Camden. Demand was heavy and 46 of the 64 lots were sold the first day. The development is expected to have a positive affect on the local economy as an influx of retirees and secondary homeowners settle here.

Wilcox Area Chamber booth

     For more information, see the Alabama Land Partners' website at www.alwaterfront.com

The Chamber's display of brochures and information concerning the county.
Special thanks to Black Belt Treasures for help in putting this display together.

Attendees were treated with a barbeque lunch.

Prospective buyers arrived both by land and by air for the grand opening sale.



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03/09/2007
     An F4 tornado touched down in the Miller's Ferry community of Wilcox County on March 1st. The county suffered one fatality along with several injured persons. The tornado destroyed approximately 25 homes and damaged many others in this scenic, riverside community along Lake Dannelly.

       The Chamber has been in contact with FEMA in regards to disaster assistance to affected residents. Persons with property damaged should contact FEMA as soon as possible at 1-800-621-FEMA in order to apply. A deadline exists to begin the process, so please do not delay your call.


     A copy of the FEMA flyer with more information can be accessed at this link. You will need ADOBE reader to open the file. If you do not have this program installed on your computer, it is available free at www.adobe.com .
     More photos of the damage can be found at the following website: www.wilcoxwebworks.com/tornado

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01/24/2007
     The Chamber sponsored a Tax Seminar on January 23rd that was available to all area business owners. The seminar featured three speakers and covered a broad range of tax topics including the Renewal Community Tax Incentives available to businesses in the Wilcox County area.

     The event and lunch meal was sponsored by Alford & Associates and Alabama Power. The speakers included Jessica Dent with ADECA, Bill Morrison with the Alabama Department of Revenue, and Nora Gunn from the Internal Revenue Service.

Speakers and representatives from three government agency were on hand to answer tax questions.

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12/29/2006
     The River Cruise aboard the Gee's Bend Ferry held on the evening of Dec. 28th was a great success. The cruise was sponsored by the Chamber and Hornblower Marine and was provided free of charge to all passengers. The boat was filled to capacity (152 persons) and cruised the river for approximately an hour and a half.

     The crowd was treated to live entertainment by the local band of Jimmy Brock, Brent Blackwell, Fred Sheffield, Curtis Mitchell, and Chris Burford.
      Piggly Wiggly and Alabama Power Company provided the refreshments that included hot chocolate that warmed the riders.


     River cruises are expected to become frequent offerings in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information on your chance to cruise the Alabama River on the Gee's Bend Ferry.


     See the PHOTOS of the event at this LINK. More photos are shown on the www.geesbendferry.com website.



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07/01/2007 The inaugural Wilcox Riverbank Festival was held on June 29th and 30th. The weekend began with a jazz concert, sponsored by the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce, on Friday evening at the Roland Cooper State Park. Area restaurants and organizations sold tasty meals to the crowd of approximately 300 people who came to enjoy the great evening affair. During the day on Saturday, a Folk Life Festival was held at Black Belt Treasures in Camden. Area craftsmen and artists were on hand throughout the day giving demonstrations. The event featured bluegrass music and great food as well. During the mid afternoon a dedication of the first mural commemorating the Gees Bend Stamps was unveiled in Gees Bend. A contingent of supporters rode the ferry over from Camden and joined a great crowd in Boykin for the unveiling.
On Saturday evening an estimated crowd of 4,000 gathered at the East Bank Park from 5pm to dark for the Fireworks Festival. Area talent performed on stage through the evening. The children were entertained with lots of games and the crowd was treated to a fly-in by the Life Flight helicopter. At dark, a spectacular fireworks show lit up the night to the enjoyment of all. The Chamber wishes to thank all who were a part of planning, promoting, and carrying out this great event. We look forward to seeing everyone back for the 2008 event.		Click the logo above to view pictures of the weekend's events!

03/09/2007 An F4 tornado touched down in the Miller's Ferry community of Wilcox County on March 1st. The county suffered one fatality along with several injured persons. The tornado destroyed approximately 25 homes and damaged many others in this scenic, riverside community along Lake Dannelly.
The Chamber has been in contact with FEMA in regards to disaster assistance to affected residents. Persons with property damaged should contact FEMA as soon as possible at 1-800-621-FEMA in order to apply. A deadline exists to begin the process, so please do not delay your call.
A copy of the FEMA flyer with more information can be accessed at this link. You will need ADOBE reader to open the file. If you do not have this program installed on your computer, it is available free at www.adobe.com . More photos of the damage can be found at the following website: www.wilcoxwebworks.com/tornado

01/24/2007 The Chamber sponsored a Tax Seminar on January 23rd that was available to all area business owners. The seminar featured three speakers and covered a broad range of tax topics including the Renewal Community Tax Incentives available to businesses in the Wilcox County area.
The event and lunch meal was sponsored by Alford & Associates and Alabama Power. The speakers included Jessica Dent with ADECA, Bill Morrison with the Alabama Department of Revenue, and Nora Gunn from the Internal Revenue Service.		Speakers and representatives from three government agency were on hand to answer tax questions.

12/29/2006 The River Cruise aboard the Gee's Bend Ferry held on the evening of Dec. 28th was a great success. The cruise was sponsored by the Chamber and Hornblower Marine and was provided free of charge to all passengers. The boat was filled to capacity (152 persons) and cruised the river for approximately an hour and a half.
The crowd was treated to live entertainment by the local band of Jimmy Brock, Brent Blackwell, Fred Sheffield, Curtis Mitchell, and Chris Burford. Piggly Wiggly and Alabama Power Company provided the refreshments that included hot chocolate that warmed the riders.
River cruises are expected to become frequent offerings in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information on your chance to cruise the Alabama River on the Gee's Bend Ferry.
See the PHOTOS of the event at this LINK. More photos are shown on the www.geesbendferry.com website.