Local businesses gave the community a proverbial shot in the arm as they weathered the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce wants to return the favor.

The chamber looks to boost their commercial colleagues through the newly-established 70% Club, a program to certify and promote businesses who have 70% or more of their staff vaccinated.

To participate, businesses schedule a verification session with chamber staff, and after verification they are given a poster and promotional materials, and will be listed on the Chamber Website as part of the club.

The program will continue throughout the summer, and new perks to membership will be announced periodically, chamber representatives said.

Sequim already has a high vaccination rate, noted chamber executive director Anji Scalf in a July 1 interview, so the program isn’t just about promoting vaccinations but is also a kudos to local businesses.

“The (program’s goal) is two-fold. Yes, we want to encourage people to get vaccinated — that’s how we will recover our economy — but we also want to honor the people who have done the work.”

The 70% Club is optional and not required of any business, and is open to all businesses in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley region.

The program was conceived following conversations with nonprofits, retailers and small businesses who wanted to celebrate the work that community’s done to combat the pandemic, chamber representatives said.

“We didn’t want to penalize anyone for not joining in and we don’t have any expectations or goals,” Scalf said. “We just want to forge that relationship to underscore what they’ve done. I think our business community has borne a burden, and they have done it well.”

The 70% Club is funded through a network of grants and was unanimously supported by the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Scalf said.

Business owners and staff interested in participating should call 360-683-6197 or email to info@sequim chamber.com for an appointment.

For more information, see sequimchamber.com/70-club.