BELHAVEN — The Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual banquet tonight at the John A. Wilkinson Center.

This year’s event kicks off at 6 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 7 p.m., courtesy of Keyzer’s Catering. Silent auction items will be up for grabs, along with a raffle for a golf cart; the raffle winner will be announced Oct. 28.

Chamber President Dianne Bowen said the banquet is a way to recognize the hard work of the citizens of Belhaven, and more specifically, the volunteers who make the Chamber of Commerce’s activities a reality.

Bowen said the organization wants to support the residents of Belhaven, not only within the town lines, but also in the outer areas of the community.

“We’re going to also mention the activities of the Chamber and what we’ve done for the last year, and what we plan to do in the future,” she said.

Local resident Pam Pippin was named as this year’s keynote speaker. Pippin has worked in human resources for about 20 years and is chairman of the Beaufort County HR Association.

“Pam’s core passion is in coaching and developing people,” the Chamber’s newsletter stated. “Her business career has enabled her to place hundreds of people to work in a myriad of the businesses and industries in eastern North Carolina and has led the HR departments in the local manufacturing industry.”

As part of its banquet, the Chamber of Commerce recognizes a group of honorees for a job well done. Chamber members vote for who they would like to see take home the awards.

This year’s honorees include: Citizen of the Year, Pastor Cris Noble; Entrepreneur of the Year, Neal O’Neal; Junior Citizen of the Year, Nathaniel Bowen; Nonprofit of the Year, Martha’s Project; Large Business of the Year (11 or more employees), The Tavern at Jack’s Neck; Small Business of the Year (one to 10 employees), Winbrandt Creations.

“It’s an opportunity for us to acknowledge some of the talent and … to honor our citizens in different categories,” Bowen said, adding that the talent also extends beyond the six award winners. “We want to focus on the positive of it.”