The Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) named Malcolm Patterson as its 2013 Van Ness Butler,Jr. Hospitality Award recipient yesterday during the TDC’s Annual Meeting. Each year, the TDC recognizes a pioneer in the tourismindustry with the prestigious award, bestowed upon a community member for his or her visionary leadership in helping to shape South Waltoninto a premier tourist destination.
Shelter House, the domestic and sexual violence center serving Okaloosa and Walton counties, is proud to announce that its Executive Director, Michelle Sperzel, was recently awarded the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. With this designation, Sperzel joins an elite group of fundraising professionals across the globe. Fewer than 300 fundraising professionals in Florida hold this credential and just 5,400 have achieved this goal worldwide.
On Thursday, September 26, 2013, Proffitt PR held its 7th Girls’ Night Out (GNO) event, Arabian Nights at Elephant Walk in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and raised $12,501.37.
The South Walton Community Council hosts the 12th Annual Back To Nature Festival Oct. 17-20, 2013. The festival is one of our favorites and offers the opportunity for visitors and locals to discover the wonders of our unique coastal environment.
Register today at www.southwaltoncc.org and get ready to enjoy the wonders of South Walton’s natural beauty!
South Walton Fashion Week debuted Oct 11-13 in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center at Sandestin, including a stellar lineup of over 30 featured boutiques and local designers in runway shows throughout the weekend.
Special preview parties and trunk shows accompanied the festivities, in addition to a runway show dedicated to chosen Emerging Designer finalists Cayce Collins, Andi Eaton, Jennifer Nina Evans, Ashlie Ming, Ella Rose and Sarah Winford.
Shelter House held the official ribbon cutting ceremony today for the Kind Heart Kennel, an on-site kennel at its confidential emergency shelter that will allow abuse victims to bring their pets with them when leaving a violent home. With the opening of the Kind Heart Kennel, Shelter House becomes the only center in Northwest Florida and one of only a few in the entire state to provide this service.
After 47 days in the field, 227 threatened gopher tortoises have been spared an inhumane death and 28 gopher tortoise eggs have been saved from a development site in Apopka, Fl. The Humane Society of the United States, Nokuse Plantation, D.R. Horton and Bio-Tech Consulting teamed up to rescue the tortoises and eggs from the Rock Springs Ridge subdivision before relocating them to a permanent home at Nokuse Plantation, a nature preserve in Walton County. The eggs started hatching on Sept. 6.
Dr. Sarah Schindele of Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) recently joined Leslie Kolovich on SUP Radio Show to discuss her work, the history and mission of CBA, and environmental and educational programs currently underway to promote the health of our diverse waterways of the Choctawhatchee (chock-tuh-hatch-ee) basin watershed.
One of South Walton's most loved organizations has big news! Alaqua Animal Refuge is a non-profit, no-kill animal refuge founded and run by Laurie Hood and dozens of volunteers. The refuge is located on ten acres of farm land west of Freeport. A recent gift of 85 acres of land was received for relocation and expansion from local resident M.C. Davis. The new location will continue to focus on providing animals shelter, safety, and second chances, but will also host educational exhibits and a zoological design for tours.
The South Walton community rallied together on Thursday, September 26 to enjoy a festive evening of camaraderie and participate in an online auction and art raffle of select works from celebrated artist Justin Gaffrey all in support of Food For Thought Outreach, a Walton County-based non-profit that provides food to local children in need.
