Giving Back Awards, Waves and Wishes 5K Run/Walk, Green Fair
On Friday, September 20, throngs of supporters of local nonprofits gathered at Hibernian Hall for Charleston Magazine’s annual Giving Back Awards to celebrate the charitable contributions of five deserving award recipients: Louis Yuhasz (Benevolent Spirit), Denise Barto (Creative Spirit), Blackbaud, Inc. (Philanthropic Spirit), Hope Haven of the Lowcountry (Community Spirit), and Thomasena Stokes-Marshall (Reader’s Choice). Duvall Catering & Event Design did an amazing job with the décor and food. The white contemporary furniture with bold flower accents was a perfect complement to this National Historic Landmark. Guests were served a variety of hors d’oeuvres, including Thai oyster shooters served in shot glasses, petite lump crab cakes with Cajun caper remoulade, and dark chocolate snobinettes filled with red wine gellée. I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the award recipients and they were all in good spirits, but a bit nervous. Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, accompanied by her niece Peggy Mazyck, was very excited. Peggy said that she was so proud of her aunt and was not surprised that she was receiving this prestigious award with everything that she does in the community. Master of ceremonies Charleston magazine editor-in-chief Darcy Shankland took to the stage, welcoming the crowd and introducing each award category presented via video clips by generous sponsors. All of the recipients accepted their awards with inspiring word about how so important it is to give back to their community. All in all, a great time for great causes. Saturday morning, I headed to Folly Beach for the annual Waves and Wishes 5K Run/Walk. Hundreds of runners and walkers endured the 90 degree heat to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. The official after party was hosted at Edwin S. Taylor Pier where a Southern-style breakfast was served to all participants. Race Director, Allison Wilder, thanked everyone for taking part in the event and gave a few of the Wish Kids an opportunity to share with the audience a few wishes that have been granted to them. A truly heartfelt moment came from two little boys who described their trip to Disney World. One raved about the Spiderman roller coaster and the other about meeting Mickey Mouse. An estimated $18,000 for Make a Wish Foundation of South Carolina was raised by this year’s run. On Sunday, I spent the afternoon downtown at Marion Square attending Charleston’s first ever Green Fair. I did not realize that Charleston had so many businesses committed to the green movement. More than 75 exhibitors were on hand, demonstrating the best in sustainability in South Carolina. Guests enjoyed an 85 percent waste-free event with bike valet service, a working solar display, and a rock climbing wall for the kids. One of the events main attractions was the stepper bike called ‘The Hammer.” The concept behind this fitness machine is to provide a total body workout while enjoying a simple bike ride. Of course I had to try it out. The bike was a little difficult to maneuver at first because of the wood deck petal, but once I got the hang of it, I was on a roll. However, my glutes were hurting for hours afterwards. Although hundreds of people were walking through the square, the grounds were impeccably clean. Recycle bins were everywhere, and volunteers were staked out at each recycle station making sure you put the right recyclable in the right bin. One of the great things about this event is that people attending really wanted to learn what they can do to live a sustainable lifestyle. Exhibitors were offering great tips on how to do just that. Monies raised will benefit the Lowcountry Earth Force and the S.C. Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative.
