OKEECHOBEE- Grace Place of Okeechobee won the Entrepreneurship Award at the 2020 Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Awards on March 10.

Overall five businesses were honored in five different categories by the chamber, which included Business Development, Leadership, Community, Entrepreneurship, and the MVP Award which was chosen by social media users.

In the Entrepreneurship category the Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce was looking to recognize an organization that opened a business that solved a need or want in the community.

“We appreciate it,” said Abagail Queen, co-owner of Grace Place of Okeechobee after receiving the award. “We’re happy to be in this community and have this platform to share what we’re all about.”

Grace Place first opened its doors in Okeechobee back in August 2017 under co-owners Abagail Queen and Colleen Queen. In that time the studio has grown in enrollment to over 100 students.

“Our vision and goal has been to share the art of dance and the value of physical fitness with the community of Okeechobee,” explained Colleen in an interview with Lake Okeechobee News in 2019.

Grace Place offers classes in introduction to dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, acro/tumbling, competition dance team, ladies’ dance class, and home school fitness club.

“For us, winning the awards are awesome and great, but our main purpose is our mission statement,” Abagail explained. “And that’s being a place for all ages to share the knowledge of the performing arts in this community. We are blessed to be able to do that.”