Remember York merchants when shopping for Christmas

Halloween has disappeared in the rearview mirror along with daylight saving time. That turkey holiday is just around the corner, and that means the next two months is the prime time for your holiday shopping.

It's also time for my annual reminder not to forget your local merchants when you start to whittle down those lists for friends and family members.

Your local merchants are the same ones who support your local sports teams, fundraisers and church events, along with paying taxes and wages.

The York Chamber of Commerce annual Holiday Rewards program will begin Thursday, Nov. 21, and run through Wednesday, Dec. 18. Customers conducting business with chamber members and paying for it, on and between these dates, are eligible to participate.

Customers will be able to submit their totals/receipts online. This has been requested several times over the past few years and last year it was rolled out to a very positive review.

If you prefer in person, simply bring your receipts to the chamber office for validation. The chamber team will assist you with the online submission. (Individual receipts will be capped at $5,000 but will be eligible for the special day incentives.)

Special value days for this year are: Thursday, Nov. 21 (2x value), Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30 (4x value); and Saturdays, Dec. 7 and 14 (2x value).

Winners will be drawn at random while Chamber staff is live on the air from 7 to 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at KOOL 103.5 FM/KAWL 1370 AM. If your name is called, call the station at 402-362-5954 to select your prize envelope.

*Because utility bills and established installment loans are already set, your current payment during the Holiday Rewards time period will be eligible.

Also, don't forget you can get York Chamber Gift Cards to give as gifts which benefit your local merchants.

Calling all veterans

The 16th Street Car Wash will once again provide free car washes to veterans and current military service personnel, under the Grace For Vets FREE Wash Program from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11 .

Washes will be offered rain or shine. The free washes are given to honor and recognize those that have and are serving in the armed forces. 16th Street Car Wash, owned by Jon and Joan Strong, is proud to have been participating in the Grace for Vets program for several years.

"This day is not about the car wash operators who are providing the FREE washes, it's about honoring and recognizing those that have and are serving and protecting our country," said Jon Strong. "Our employees look forward to giving back to those that have given so much."

Grace For Vets was founded by Mike Mountz, former owner of Cloister Wash & Lube, in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, in 2004. Mountz vowed to find a way to honor veterans when he served and saw first-hand amputees and the seriously wounded at the Veterans Hospital in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Several years after opening his first car wash, he started the Grace For Vets FREE Wash Program. With the help of car washes across the country who participate, more and more military servicemen and women are recognized each year through this program.

What the heck

I had the honor of knowing Denny Danielson pretty well, especially when we worked together running the Hershey Track Meet for a number of years.

Denny passed away in August 2023 after a brave battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor. Something I was too familiar with as this same cancer took my dad away from our family back in 1998.

Denny spent a lot of years coaching youth basketball teams when his four sons were growing up. Not only did he teach his sons and scores of other kids about basketball, he also taught them a lot about life through his coaching.

His four sons, who all played for the York Dukes, are continuing Denny's legacy through DD Coaching, a 12-week coaching academy titled "Impacting Coaches for the Game of Life." Each Sunday evening throughout the basketball season, the brothers will discuss different topics from their experiences to help young coaches impact kids.

Those sons include Drew, who is the head Kearney High girls basketball coach, Ty, who is an assistant men's basketball coach at Washburn University, Brady, who was a D1 player at North Dakota University, and Bryce, a project manager for Blair Freeman.

The cost for the program is a freewill donation to the Denny Danielson Memorial. Those donations will be used to help families that have been impacted by not only brain cancer but all types of cancer.

The first session is set for 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10.