Cottage Grove Chamber Honors Weyerhaeuser, Fire District, Key Club at Annual Banquet

The Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce named Weyerhaeuser Company its Business of the Year and honored Shauna Neigh as First Citizen at the organization's annual awards banquet March 21, an evening that also raised scholarship support for area youth and distributed honors to South Lane County Fire & Rescue and the Cottage Grove High School Key Club.

The banquet brought together business leaders, nonprofit volunteers and community members for an evening that wove award presentations, community networking and scholarship fundraising into a single event. Four awards went to organizations spanning forestry, public safety and student volunteerism, reflecting the range of institutions the chamber considers central to South Lane County's civic and economic health.

South Lane County Fire & Rescue was named Nonprofit of the Year, placing the district alongside a major timber company on a recognition roster that reflects the interdependence of private-sector jobs and essential public safety services in Cottage Grove. Weyerhaeuser's Business of the Year honor identifies the company as one of the area's most significant private-sector employers and a cornerstone of South Lane County's workforce base.

Neigh's First Citizen designation honored her individual contributions to civic life in Cottage Grove. The Distinguished Service Award went to the Cottage Grove High School Key Club, a choice that connects the chamber's business recognition program directly to its scholarship mission. Selecting a student-led service club for top honors signals that the chamber views youth development as foundational alongside its recognition of established employers and public institutions.

Proceeds raised at the banquet went toward scholarship support for area youth, directing funds from the annual recognition event back into the community the chamber represents.