Young professionals in LaGrange will soon have an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals looking to advance their careers in Troup County.

HYPE, or Helping Young Professional Engage, will host its 2020 kickoff event at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Great Wolf Lodge.

According to HYPE President Anabeth Ivey, the event is designed to get the 100 current HYPE members together and encouraging them to invite potential new members. The event will consist of networking opportunities as well as food, drinks and games to get to know other young professionals.

According to HYPE’s Facebook page, the organization’s purpose is to connect active, civic-minded young professionals with a clear vision of Troup County’s future.

“The organization provides a unified voice for Troup County’s young professionals, through partnerships with Troup County’s public and private leadership, to promote and advocate for the interests of the young professionals in the community,” the page says.

Ivey said HYPE consists of 20- to 30-year-olds in the LaGrange community who want to reinvest in the community while working together.

The HYPE board of directors meets once every three months, and there are monthly events focused on either social, service or professional developments.

“Young professionals are the future of the community,” Ivey said. “Civic organizations are constantly looking for young people with a fresh set of eyes and new ideas.”

Additionally, Ivey said HYPE is a retention tool to keep young professionals in the LaGrange community after they have started their careers. She said new members would see that many of the people they would meet have the same ambitions as them.

“It is a great tool to get immersed and have similar ideas as others,” Ivey said. “Our board members are involved in lots of organizations around town. Also, you are going to run into a lot of young professionals who are already involved in several parts of the community.”

Since HYPE is an affiliate of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, any young professional can join HYPE for free if their employer is already paying for chamber membership. Ivey said those individuals can reach out through the Facebook page or the chamber website and would be sent an application.

If not, Ivey said the cost of joining would be similar to what a business would pay to be a member of the chamber for a year.