Puritan Cape Cod Co-owner Rick Penn presents the 21st Abraham Penn Community Award to Sandy Wycoff, the owner of Chatham T Co.
HYANNIS – Puritan Cape Cod presented its 21st annual Abraham Penn Community Award Wednesday to Sandy Wycoff, the owner of Chatham T Co.
The award, which is named after the founder of Puritan, recognizes an individual who exemplifies Puritan’s mission of providing service to customers and to the community.
“Our grandfather was all about service to the customer and service to the community,” said Rick Penn, a co-owner of Puritan.
For the last 21 years, the company has asked local chambers of commerce to nominate an individual for the award.
Co-owner Jim Penn said presenting the award is a special event for the company.
“We get to honor someone in the community who has those same principles of giving back to the community and running a successful business,” Penn said.
“It is important to have local businesses that give back to the community and volunteer every single day.”
Rick Penn said Wycoff showed a strong commitment to the community through the several organization she supports and devotes her time to.
Over the years, Wycoff has served as the co-president of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce, the treasurer of the Chatham Orpheum Theater, a member of the Eldredge Garage Property Planning Committee.
She has also hosted events to benefit the Atwood House Museum, Monomoy Community Services, the Angel Fund, and the Chatham Children’s Fund.
Every New Year’s Eve, she loans one of her stores to Chatham’s First Night committee to be used as headquarters for the event.
“She is very deserving and really sets an example for the rest of the businesses here on Cape Cod,” Jim Penn said.
Wycoff said she was honored to receive this year’s award.
Chatham T Co. operates three locations on Main Street in Chatham, including Chatham T Kids, Chatham Clothing Bar, and Chatham Clothing Co.
“Puritan leads the way. They set the bar,” she said. “You don’t stay in business for 100 years without doing something incredibly right.”
“For me to receive that award it says ‘wow, you are doing it okay,” which is good,” Wycoff said.
She said it is all about community.
“We all need each other and if we don’t work together than it’s not going to happen,” Wycoff said.
“It would be silly for me to think that I could be the only store on Main Street Chatham and do the kind of business that I do. We all need to be together. The more stores, the more businesses, the more community, the better.”
Wycoff said it is important that local residents continue to support small businesses as the trend of online shopping continues to grow.
“We do give back. We do support. Our kids go to the schools. We patronize the other stores. We use all the different services that the different communities offer,” she said. “It’s also the connection and the relationship and being able to have a sense of connection to the people you are working with, that you are servicing.”
She said there are concerns about people who do everything online and have no sense of community.
“There is this overwhelming loneliness,” Wycoff said. “Community is what it is all about.”
Rick and Jim Penn said it was fitting to have the 2019 winner of the award from Chatham, as the first Puritan store was opened in Chatham in 1919.
The Chatham Chamber of Commerce also received a $1,000 donation in Wycoff’s name for nominating the winner.
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