First Responders and Community Champions Appreciation

The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce’s First Responders Appreciation Breakfast is held traditionally at the Durham Convention Center annually in September. Due to the global pandemic, we shifted our 2020 event to a virtual program that not only recognized first responders, but also educators, healthcare, frontline, and other essential workers as community champions. Given the economic impact on small businesses, particularly restaurateurs, it was important to show our collective support in helping to keep our local restaurants running by investing in them.

To recognize all their tireless efforts last year, the Durham Chamber hosted our annual First Responders and Community Champions Appreciation as a remote opportunity for members, businesses, groups, and individuals to show your gratitude. We, along with American Tobacco Campus, facilitated meal deliveries and gift cards from 28 local restaurants, resulting in more than 1,100 meals delivered as our small way to show our appreciation and sacrifice to keep the Durham community going. 

Since we were able to make a larger impact in 2020, we have decided to keep our 2021 event also virtual and again support Durham restaurants with meal deliveries to our first responders and community champions. We cannot do this without your support! This year, we would like to ask our sponsors and business partners to be more involved and actually help deliver a meal to a deserving organization. 

Join us as we support our local Durham restaurants while saying Thank You to those who work to protect, serve, and make our community a better place to be.

The Durham Chamber will facilitate meal deliveries and gift cards from local restaurants to recipients starting the week of September 13th.


If you are a local restaurant and would like to participate in a meal delivery, please contact Bryan Fox.