Each year, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce recognizes exemplary businesses and nonprofit organizations that sustain and promote the local community. At the group’s 2014 award ceremony, Bastyr Center for Natural Health was among recipients, receiving the chamber’s “Hammering Man Award.”

“We felt it was quite appropriate because Bastyr Center is hammering away at the community, making sure we all stay healthy,” says Jessica Vets, executive director of the Fremont Chamber.

The Hammering Man Award, an annual award instituted in 2006, recognizes perseverance on projects that span several years. It was awarded to Bastyr Center for its recent expansion, which opens up more classroom space for Bastyr University students as well as to the public.

“We feel that Bastyr is such a big force in the community,” Vets says. “We hope this award will help make the community more aware of its efforts.”

The central mission of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce is to strengthen the business climate and improve the quality of life in the Fremont area. Bastyr Center for Natural Health, which is located in Seattle’s Fremont-Wallingford neighborhood, averages 35,000 patient visits each year, with services including naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and East Asian medicine, ayurvedic medicine, nutrition and counseling.