Franciscan Sisters honored as Chamber’s Large Business of the Year

The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism held its annual meeting on Thursday, May 2 at The Falls Ballroom to recognize local businesses and individuals within the city. This year’s theme was “A Night in Vegas” and attendees were encouraged to dress to the nines in glitz and glam.

The meeting provided an opportunity for chamber members to network, learn about the chamber’s activities over the past year and find out about strategic priorities for the upcoming year. Purva Watten, president and CEO of the chamber, gave a presentation highlighting the chamber’s accomplishments in 2023 such as a successful merger between the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and the Little Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau and another high-attendance Arts and Crafts Fair.

A major part of the evening was presenting awards to honor outstanding contributions to the local community by recognizing the Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. The criteria a business has to meet to be nominated for Large Business of the Year include having over 25 employees and being a member of the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. However, in order to have a shot at being selected as the recipient of the recognition, the business must show an outstanding level of involvement with the community, including its own employees, customers and the Little Falls community at large.

This year’s Large Business of the Year award went to the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. As Watten explained, the Sisters were nominated by chamber members, of whom there are 260, for the impactful programs and services they provide. Their campus is home to a health and fitness center, library, music center, community gardens and more – all open to the public. The Sisters also organize free, family-friendly events such as the Green Fair Folk Festival, which promotes a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through various activities. This year, the Green Fair Folk Festival takes place Wednesday, Aug. 7 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Watten said that as a religious organization, some people may not think of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls as a business, but all of the services they provide on their campus require dedicated staff members to keep them going.

Watten said the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls were nominated for the recognition of Large Business of the Year not because of pressure from the business, but because of a genuine appreciation for the work the Sisters do for the community.

“When we put out the nomination, they just go out. They don’t go out to the businesses themselves. So the Franciscan Sisters, they didn’t share the post being like, ‘Nominate us.’ They weren’t asking for people to vote for them or anything,” Watten said. “This is legit people wanting to nominate them because they think they deserve it, so it’s coming from the people that are wanting this to happen. So that is definitely one thing that kind of sets us apart, when we ask for nominations. There are definitely communities where nominations get sent out and then the businesses share them, saying, ‘Vote for us, this is happening.’ Whereas this is a lot of what people want to see.”

When thinking of members of the Fransican Sisters of Little Falls who have been especially instrumental in its success, Watten said there were too many people to count, but two members who particularly stood out to her were Director of Community Relations Elizabeth Mahoney Rydeen and the community minister and president, Sister Bea Eichten.

At the annual meeting, a representative of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls accepted the plaque on their behalf. The award is a testament to the Franciscan Sisters’ longstanding commitment to improving lives in Little Falls through education, wellness and community engagement initiatives.

After the awards, attendees enjoyed appetizers and desserts while participating in casino-themed games like blackjack and roulette for fun, as well as a drawing in which one person won a prize at the end. The evening provided an opportunity for chamber members to connect, celebrate local businesses and look forward to another successful year.