The Benton Area Chamber of Commerce will mark its 75th anniversary with its 2026 Annual Banquet on Tuesday, March 10th. The evening features a keynote address by Sarah Thomas, the first female official in the National Football League. Read more below.

Thomas, widely recognized as a pioneer in sports officiating, made history as the first woman to officiate a major college football game, a bowl game, a Big Ten stadium matchup, and the Super Bowl.

Named one of Sports Illustrated’s 100 Most Influential NFL Figures of All Time, Thomas is now a national speaker sharing leadership lessons from her groundbreaking career.

The banquet will take place at 6 p.m. at the Benton Event Center, located at 17322 Interstate 30 North.

Tickets are $1,000 for a table of ten or $120 for an individual seat, with limited availability. Seating is assigned in the order of purchase. Attendees can register at bentonchamber.com or by calling (501) 860-7002.

Sponsors of the event include First Security Bank, Jones Heating and Air, Baxley-Penfield-Moudy Realtors, CDI Contractors, Everett Buick GMC, Ferguson’s Furniture, McCauley Services, Middlebrooks Electric, P. Clark & Associates, and Smith Benton Funeral Home.

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