The Sunnyvale Sun

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A milestone for Chamber prompts this business expo

Organization celebrates 100 years, and its members strut their stuff

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

Planning Commissioner Harriet Rowe and her husband Jack had a great view of the Aug. 2 Music & Market crowd on South Murphy Avenue, but there was more to see downtown that night than the flowers, corn-on-the-cob, fresh oysters and vendor displays.

That Wednesday night, in celebration of 100 years of service to the Sunnyvale business community, the Chamber of Commerce hosted an open-air market of vendors on Washington Avenue. For the Centennial Business Expo, 50 local businesses set up booths along the street to meet visitors and show off their services.

Each booth had something different to offer, from gift-card raffles to personalized candy, but the most popular draw of the night may have been 5-year old Zathyrus, a hairless Sphinx cat owned by Murphy Avenue Pet Clinic veterinary technician Stephany Schultheis.

Even though he seemed content to nap in his carrier while people crowded around to see him, Zathyrus' presence prompted more than two dozen people to visit the booth in less than an hour.

"It's fun out here," said veterinarian Ken Sawyer. "I've seen people I've known for years and some people who didn't even know we exist."

Even though they're just two blocks from the downtown area across the Caltrain tracks, Sawyer said the event helped get his clinic's name out into the community.

One of Zathyrus' fans, Katie Clark, 10, was also working to advertise, but instead of carrying around a hairless cat, she was walking around with smiling, waving "Mr. Bones," a replica skeleton from Riley Chiropractic.

"People ask what the skeleton is for and I tell them that (Riley) saves their spine," Clark said. "It's fun; I just get to walk around with a waving skeleton."

Clark's mother, Dawn, a chiropractic assistant, said they were excited to take part in the event because they've benefited from their chamber membership over the years.

Chamber President and CEO Suzi Blackman--who, along with her staff, spent hours coordinating the event--was all smiles as she mingled with visitors and passed out shopping bags to everyone who would take one.

"It's great. We've got the street hopping," she said. "We've got a great cross section of Sunnyvale out here."