Whether you live in the Tri-State Area, have spent any amount of time here or live somewhere else but remember it as home, you come to realize there’s a special bond that holds our community together.

There were several examples offered when the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce held its 117th-annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Oct. 29.

The evening was built around the theme of People, Places and Progress of Jefferson County.

It’s a business meeting — a chance for the chamber to offer details about the past year and a networking opportunity — but it also serves as a reminder about the positive things that are happening across the area.

“We’re here to celebrate the people who keep our community moving forward with their work and creativity, and the new ideas, new partnerships and the growth that are shaping our future” said Emily Byers, the chamber’s president who is nearing the end of her first year on the job.

That’s an important sentiment — while it’s always easy to look at the bad things that have been and are happening in our area — and, quite frankly, there are some — there remains a resiliency that reminds us there is hope for the future.

“Our area has been pushed around for many decades — we lost thousands of jobs, good-paying jobs, and outsiders from across the country looked at Jefferson County as being outdated, that we’re rusty and old,” said Joe Wallace.

Wallace has numerous responsibilities at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, which hosted the event in the Christ the Teacher Academic Center — he is the executive director of community relations at the school, as well as the coach of the mens basketball team.

“But, our community is so blessed. We have values and are not afraid to put faith first in our lives. We bring faith into our workplaces, we’re a community that places our families at the center of what they’re about,” Wallace added. “The more we show the outside world how important those values are, the more the community can keep gathering together and working as one team, the more we can shine a spotlight on those values.”

Those values can be seen in the people who were honored during the dinner: Jim Morgan, who won the Lifetime Ambassador Award for his work in the community; Marty Hauser, whose family run furniture business has served numerous generations of area residents, and who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; Jerry Barilla, who has been a key player in the success of Historic Fort Steuben and is completing his final term as Steubenville’s mayor and was the recipient of the Lifetime Civic Achievement Award; and Houston Sexton, who was recognized as the Young Professional of the Year, and Alisa DelGuzzo, who was named Ambassador of the Year.

They also were celebrated by the evening’s guest speaker, Steubenville native Rich Donnelly.

The Catholic Central High School graduate and longtime coach in professional baseball has seen many successes in his life. His career in Major League Baseball included a stint with the Pirates, as well as jobs with Texas, Florida, Milwaukee, Seattle, Colorado and the Dodgers.

But he’s also seen tragedy: His daughter, Amy, died after a courageous battle against brain cancer at the age of 18, a story expertly told in Tom Friend’s book “The Chicken Runs at Midnight;” his son, Mike, was killed when he was struck by a vehicle after stopping on a Dallas highway to help a pregnant women whose car had become disabled — his action credited with saving her life; and his daughters,Tiffany and Leighanne, whose actions helped to save a woman who had been shot at a Las Vegas music festival.

Donnelly said each of his children had learned important lessons while spending time in the Ohio Valley, and he wanted to thank everyone who had taught them powerful life lessons along the way.

Those experiences made it possible for Amy to worry more about others who had been dealt a terrible hand; for Mike to be willing to stop and help a woman who was having issues with her car; and for Tiffany and Leighanne to help shield and comfort a woman who had been critically wounded instead of seeking safety for themselves.

“I’d like to thank all of the people who helped a stuttering 8-year-old kid to reach his dreams,” the 79-year-old Donnelly said. “Nobody has a perfect life — you have some ups and you have some downs.

“I always say this: I was taught the right way. I was taught right from wrong. I was taught how to treat people. I was taught by teachers and coaches and all of the people of Jefferson County, and if I screwed up — which I did — it was my fault. I knew better because I was taught right.

“I never look back and say, ‘Well, I had a terrible childhood.’ I had a wonderful childhood. I was born next to Harding Stadium. That was my playground — are you kidding me?” Donnelly continued. “I was coached by great coaches, all the way through. They taught me how to act and how to accept victory; they taught me how to deflect it and how to be a good teammate and to give your teammates credit.”

Those values that Donnelly reminded each of the more than 200 people who attended the dinner were so important remain important, as Wallace explained.

“What we have here does not exist in other places across the country,” he said.

“The values of this community have been opened up for many across the country,” Wallace added. “That’s what this building and the progress we have made on the campus symbolize — that there are people out there who can see our values, and they believe in them. The more we can all continue to work together, the more people in Columbus, Washington, D.C., and other prominent places will view who we truly are. They will believe in it, and they will believe in us.”

In a conversation after the dinner, Donnelly, who lives in Wintersville, was told that his presentation made everyone remember what a great place our area can be.

“I know,” he said. “That’s why I came back.”

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)He has been a member of the board of directors of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, serving as vice president, and was a member of the board of advisers at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.)