Dolce hosts chamber holiday party

 Attorney David Stergas of Norwalk-based firm DePanfilis & Vallerie LLC.; Maureen Hanley-Bellitto, United Bank”™s senior vice president for commercial lending for Fairfield County; and Mark Hubina, vice president and credit officer, United Bank.

The Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual holiday reception and nonprofit benefit recently at Dolce Norwalk, the 66-acre meetings, events and hotel facility on Weed Avenue in Norwalk.

The packed-house gathering on a dismal, rainy night bore testimony to the popularity of the event, which chamber President/CEO Ed Musante refers to as his favorite of the year.

The evening featured a raffle, the proceeds of which were to benefit the Norwalk-based Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County.

Before the raffle began, Mark Lilliedahl, president of the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County Board of Directors, said, “Every cent we get, whether one dollar, $1,000 or $10,000, goes to save children”™s lives.”

Event sponsors were Spinnaker Real Estate Partners and People”™s United Bank. Stew Leonard”™s provided the table wine. The oyster and clam bar was sponsored by Hillard Bloom Shellfish Inc.

In welcoming the assembled, Dolce Manager Michael McNeill said the center will largely be closed for January and part of February for renovations. He said there will be a new restaurant and bar and a remade lobby by March, part of an ongoing two-year capital plan. Remakes of the center”™s ballroom and remaining meeting spaces are also planned for the coming year.

Dolce maintains 21,200 square feet of meeting space; 32 meeting rooms a 3,612-square-foot ballroom; 32 multipurpose meeting rooms; an amphitheater; 120 guest rooms; an indoor pool and fitness center and on-site basketball, racquetball, volleyball, billiards and tennis.