It was a night at glitz and glam as more than 900 people packed Caesars Windsor for the 27th annual Business Excellence Awards hosted by the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Awards were handed in a number of categories including 'Professional of the Year', 'New Business of the Year' and 'Entrepreneur of the Year'.
One of the top winners for the night was St. Clair College President Patti France who took home the 'Athena Award' for community leadership.
She says she was nearly speechless.
"Personally, watching the video for the first time, it was very touching. So it was hard to watch that and then get up on stage right after that. It was very humbling and I am truly honoured for the recognition."
St. Clair College President Patti France accepts the 'Athena Award' (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
France adds nothing would be possible without the amazing team behind her.
"From my perspective, it does recognize the College. I'm so very fortunate to have a Board of Governors who support the community involvement and our staff and students, their outreach is amazing and so inspirational in itself that I think being a community college is doing all of those things."
Another big winner was the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County which was given the 'Pillars of Our Community Award'.
Executive Director Carol Derbyshire says her volunteers and the families involved are the real winners.
"Everyday of their lives our volunteers come with smiles on their faces full of passion for patients and families and the other thing that I need to say, our families, and it takes very understanding families."
Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Executive Director Carol Derbyshire accepts the 'Pillars of Our Community Award' (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
Derbyshire says she wants to thank the local community for all the support over the years.
"I feel this community lifts us up. They have been there for 38 years for us. They embraced Hospice right in the beginning, have stayed with us and supported us. We wouldn't be Hospice without them."
The full list of all the other winners from this year's awards can be seen below:
Believe Windsor Essex Award - Rosati Group
Small Company of the Year - Surveyors On Site Inc.
Mid-Size Company of the Year - Next Dimension Inc.
Large Company of the Year - Red Sun Farms
Young Professional of the Year - Yvonne Pilon
New Business of the Year - Witeck Solutions
Innovation Award - KeenTec NA Inc.
Tourism & Hospitality Award - WindsorEats
Professional of the Year- Holly Ward
Entrepreneur of the Year - Gino Piccioni