April 2015 Business Briefs / Member News Part 4

Lee Subaru Shares Lots of Love with Covenant Hospice Bob Lee of Lee Subaru presents a check to Rachel Mayew fromCovenant Hospice. The funds were raised during the Subaru Share the Love event, a charitable initiative supporting non-profits across America. Covenant was selected by Lee as the dealership’s Hometown Charity. Teach Children to Save Program Kicks Off April is Financial Literacy Month and a perfect time to “Teach Children to Save.” Youth 18 and under making deposits to their savings account at one of these financial institutions may register with Okaloosa Saves between April 20 and July 31, for one of six $50 cash prizes to be awarded in August: Beach Community Bank, Eglin Federal Credit Union, First City Bank, and PenFed Credit Union. Since 2004, Okaloosa Saves has awarded children $7,800 in savings bonds and deposits. For more information, call (850) 689-5850. Okaloosa $aves is part of the national initiative America Saves AmericaSaves.org and coordinated locally by the University of Florida/IFAS Extension in Okaloosa County. Book A 3-Hour Cruise & the 4th Hour is Free! Reserve SunQuest Cruises’ SOLARIS for a 3-hour private chartered, evening wedding and/or reception and receive the 4th hour for free (up to a $1,000 value). Cruise must book by Dec. 31, 2015. Call (850) 650-2519 for details or request more information online. Local Volleyball Tournament to Benefit Wounded Airman The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors is serving up goodwill as part of its first-ever Beach Volleyball Tournament June 14. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Building Homes for Heroes, a local non-profit that builds mortgage-free homes for veterans wounded while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tournament will feature two levels of play and four-person teams. Check-in will begin at 7 a.m., and the first match will follow at 8 a.m. For more information about sponsoring or playing, contact Kim Kirschling atkim@ecaor.com or call (850) 243-6145. To register for the tournament, visit www.mkt.com/emerald-coast-association-of-realtors. Okaloosa Arts Alliance Donates to CIC Children’s Art Fund Amy Baty, Okaloosa Arts Alliance executive director, presents a check for $800 to Ken Hair, Children in Crisis president & CEO. Baty is joined by Kerri Woods, OAA president. The funds were donated to CIC to help fund its Children’s Arts Education program. Elected Officials to Attend April 30th Tri-County Community Partnership Initiative (TCPI) Event Several County Commissioners and numerous City Council representatives from Okaloosa County will attend a TCPI meeting on April 30, 2015, with various elected local officials from Santa Rosa and Walton counties. The TCPI event will educate elected officials on partnership and shared services opportunities that exist between communities and local military installations. Citizens may attend the event, held at the Holiday Inn Resort, located at 1299 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach. For details, contact Sal Nodjomian at (850) 279-4298. Bud & Alley’s Adds Farm-to-Table Inspired Breakfast Service Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant added a farm-to-table inspired breakfast menu to its offerings. The farm-to-table breakfast menu features a twist on Bud & Alley’s favorites, such as the Crab Cake Benedict, along with new flavor combinations, such as the Duck Confit Hash with Fried Egg. Additional breakfast items include an assortment of seasonal fresh fruits, grain cereals, locally sourced farm fresh egg dishes prepared in a variety of ways, and hearty breakfast sandwiches served on artisan breads. For a menu, visit BudAndAlleys.com. Destin Walmart Begins Annual Children’s Hospital Charity Drive Walmart Stores begin their annual nationwide campaign to raise money for the care of children on May 4, 2015. Since 1987, Walmart has partnered with the 170 Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals nationwide to raise more than $750 million dollars. 100% of the money raised goes directly to the local hospitals involved. The 2015 campaign hopes to raise $40 million dollars. The Destin Walmart raised around $15,000 last year for local partner, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. This year’s campaign is determined to get over $20,000 for our local kids and their families. Customers can expect to be asked to donate during the six week campaign, but it doesn’t have to be much. One of the most popular options in recent years is rounding up. Instead of $1 you may round up your purchase total to an even number. Events include the following: Friday, May 1 - Big Red Truck will serve tacos, wedge salad, and grilled cheese. Saturday, May 2 - Smoke on the Water BBQ will serve pulled pork. Sunday, May 3 – Enjoy hot dogs and sweet corn on the grill. Friday, May 8 – A portion of all sales from 5 – 8 p.m. at Destin’s Chick-Fil-A restaurant will be donated. Saturday, May 9 – A pancake breakfast will be held from 8 – 10 a.m., at the Sandestin Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill. Pancakes, bacon, and a drink are $7. Tickets are sold at the Destin Walmart Money Center and the Santa Rosa Beach Walmart Service Desk. Shoreline Church is serving as waiters and waitresses. Shelter House Opens New Program Office and Celebrates 30 Years The public is invited to a celebration on Thursday, April 30, as Shelter House opens the doors of its new program office. Guided tours featuring brief talks by Shelter House advocates will begin at 4:30 p.m. and run for an hour. The official ribbon cutting takes place at 5:45 p.m., followed by cake and refreshments at 6 p.m. to celebrate the agency’s 30th birthday. MKAF Announces Special Board Appointment The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Pike to serve on the 2015 Board of Directors. Pike serves as marketing manager ofDestin Commons. She is actively involved in coordinating marketing for many community activities on behalf of Destin Commons with the Destin Area, Greater Fort Walton Beach and Niceville Valparaiso chambers of commerce. For the Destin Area Chamber, Pike is chairing the Bayou, Bay & Beach 2016 half-marathon and will be a May 2015 graduate of the Destin Forward leadership class. She is also the volunteer marketing lead for the Emerald Coast Relay for Life that benefits the American Cancer Society and is a past Chair of the Finest on the Emerald Coast event with theNorthwest Florida Daily News. Students Help Restore Critical Habitat Along Choctawhatchee Bay As the school year begins to draw to an end, students across Okaloosa and Walton counties are also wrapping up a year-long restoration project. Throughout the 2014-2015 school year, around 2,100 students at 20 elementary schools participated in Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance’s (CBA) Grasses in Classes Program. Throughout May, CBA will host 22 field trips at eight different restoration sites along the bay. The students will plant close to 25,000 shoreline grasses by the end of the month, which in return, will help to slow erosion and provide a critical, intertidal habitat. For more information about the Grasses in Classes field trips, contact Brittany Tate at (850) 217-5382 or tateb@nwfsc.edu. Okaloosa Arts Alliance School Poster Contest Winners The Okaloosa Arts Alliance would like to thank the 105 students who entered the 6th annual Okaloosa Arts Alliance Summer Fun poster contest. Winners are as follows: Elementary (K5-4) First Place: Aurora Powell, 4th Grade, Liza Jackson Preparatory School Second Place: Ava Sailer, 1st Grade, Liza Jackson Preparatory School Third Place: Ivan Gutierrez, 4th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School Honorable Mention: Paige Norris, K-5, Rocky Bayou Christian School Middle (5-7) First Place: Nathan Simpson, 6th Grade, Liza Jackson Preparatory School Second Place: Bianca Evans, 7th Grade, Liza Jackson Preparatory School Third Place: Elle Street, 5th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School Honorable Mention: Hanna Farnsworth, 6th Grade, Liza Jackson Preparatory School Honorable Mention: Tori Denbow, 7th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School High (8-12) First Place: Addie Spence, 8th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School (pictured here) Second Place: Andrea De Jesus, 12th Grade, Fort Walton Beach High School Third Place: Sean Wild, 8th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School Honorable Mention: Shannon Barkman, 12th Grade, Rocky Bayou Christian School Honorable Mention: Sage Gardner, 8th Grade Rocky Bayou Christian Shool