The Casper Young Professionals Network celebrated its first anniversary and the success of the group Friday with a dinner party at 303 Grill.

"We're giving thanks to our members and those who have supported us and helped us out, but this is also an opportunity for other young professionals that may be interested," said Leah Reeb, vice president of the group.

The CYPN began when a group of students at Casper College interested in getting a young professionals network together and an outside group merged. Instead of forming a college-specific network, the groups worked with two local rotary clubs and joined with the young professionals group Rotaract, a nationally sponsored service club for men and women ages 18-30.

"There is a high-caliber, high-quality group of young professionals in our community, and there really wasn't anywhere else we fit well," said Chelse DePaolo, CYPN president. "It's important for young professionals to have a place to go to for personal development, professional development, and social networking."

And the Casper network does just that.

The group serves the community through its affiliation with local rotary organizations. The CYPN participated in last year's Relay for Life, the Platte River Revival cleanup, and the Great Duck Dirby, raising money for charities and the community.

Members also held a 1920's-themed New Year's Eve party to encourage those who may otherwise drink and drive to instead use provided shuttles or to stay at the Holiday Inn on the River for a reduced price.

"We felt that we were a big component of dropping the drinking and driving rates on New Year's Eve," Reeb said. "The rates were lower, so we hoped that we were a contributing factor to that."

But the group isn't all about community service - it's also about building friendships.

"We do a lot of community stuff, but we do enjoy having a good time," Reeb said. "We definitely have a lot of fun. It's not all business all the time."

"I never imagined a year ago that our club would be where it is or that there were so many great young people in the community," DePaolo said. "They're some of my best friends now."

Contact reporter Megan Lee at 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com

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Want to join?

For more information on the Casper Young Professionals Network, contact Leah Reeb at 267-0900 or lreeb@rotaractcypn.org or visit www.rotaractcypn.org.