Yuma County Chamber Hosts Annual Dinner Gala Feb. 20 at Pivot Point

Jon M. Perry's Imaginary Friends Design Studios was named Business of the Year at the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Gala held Feb. 20 at Pivot Point Conference Center, 200 S Madison Ave in downtown Yuma, as nearly 200 attendees filled the venue to celebrate the county’s business leaders. The event ran from 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM MST and served as the Chamber’s signature fundraiser and recognition night presented by Onvida Health.

Hosted at the Pivot Point, the evening combined cocktail service and a plated dinner with live music from a local favorite and an on-site professional photographer, according to the Chamber’s event materials. The program’s centerpiece was the awards presentation, which included Business of the Year, Chamber Champion, Ambassador of the Year, Small Businessperson of the Year, Chamber Member of the Year, the InstaGRAMMY and the Athena International Award, followed by the installation of the 2026 officers and Board of Directors.

Chamber Executive Director Carrie Zaragoza highlighted the mix of backgrounds on the incoming board, saying, "This year's board, we're just super excited about it because they are from small business owners to big business, either owners or higher execs within their organizations, and it's such a good, broad mix." Zaragoza also framed the Business of the Year as the gala’s marquee honor: "Our big award is our business of the year, and that's a business that exemplifies all the best of Yuma County."

Perry described the award’s significance for his firm, saying the recognition "felt especially meaningful because it came from the community his company serves." Imaginary Friends Design Studios took the Business of the Year prize after competing among several nominees.

Sponsorship and ticketing figures underscored local business investment in the event. Onvida Health was listed as Presenting Sponsor at $6,000 with benefits including a premier table for 8, 4-minute speaking time, an inside front cover ad with a letter to the community, top logo placement in advertising, logo on guest event photos, digital logo display during the program and 5 raffle tickets per guest; the Chamber page showed the Presenting Sponsor marked SOLD OUT. The Diamond Sponsor level listed at $3,000 also appeared as SOLD OUT. Ruby table sponsorship was listed at $2,100 with reserved table for 8 and a half-page program ad, and Sapphire table sponsorship at $1,600 could be split between two businesses. Individual tickets were listed at $200 and the Chamber’s events calendar showed registration closed.

With awards distributed and the new board installed, the Chamber closed a night of recognition and fundraising in downtown Yuma and signaled the start of its 2026 programming under incoming leadership.