Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES— The Salem Community Center at the Armory will be the setting for the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) Annual Dinner and Awards Program on Oct. 23, 2025. The city of Salem and Dent County will serve as hosts.  

Each year, MRPC requests proposals from cities and counties in the Meramec Region to host the annual dinner event, where volunteers from across the region are honored for their contributions to their communities and the region. The MRPC board evaluates proposals and selects the location based on various criteria. 

“Volunteers are a tremendous resource in our rural areas,” MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge said. “It is through volunteers that projects get accomplished, and things happen. Recognizing their efforts in the region is the very least we can do for the work they accomplish. Our annual dinner highlights some of the best volunteer efforts and hopefully inspires others to serve and provides an idea for an activity or program in another community. We will also recognize some youth volunteers in hopes of encouraging other youth to volunteer in their communities and to promote life-long volunteerism.” 

Residents in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties may purchase tickets at a cost of $40 to attend the dinner and awards ceremony. Vintage Apron will be catering, and dinner will include creamy Italian chicken breast and roast beef as the entrees. A reception starting at 5:30 will be sponsored by Archer-Elgin Engineering, Surveying and Architecture and will include a silent auction and live music performed by Lake of the Ozarks Council of Government Executive Director Mitch Shields. Dinner will begin at 6:30 with the awards presentation to follow.  

The city of Salem last hosted MRPC’s annual dinner in 2017. Award recipients will be announced soon, and MRPC will begin taking reservations for the event in September.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin serves as chair of the board. A professional staff of 24 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

-30-