A Day at the 2011 Family Circle Cup

I made my very first journey to the Family Circle Cup this year for a variety of reasons. 1) I am not a huge tennis fan although in my younger knee years I enjoyed playing weekend tennis with friends 2) I envisioned a chaotic mass of people pushing and shoving their way throughout the day 3) I could not justify paying the ticket price to endure the crowd, the heat, the parking, and all of these supported by my lack of enthusiasm for the game 4) And the best reason, a friend gave me a Terrace seat ticket!

My thoughts wander as I’m driving on I-526 toward Daniel Island for the day’s festivities on Wednesday, April 6th. Where will parking be? How far will I have to walk? Will there be food and drinks? Will my seat be in a good spot? How long will I stay? Why am I doing this? All of these questions were for naught because at the end of the day, I had the best time ever and can only say if you haven’t been to the Family Circle Cup, plan to go next year! You don’t have to be a tennis pro or amateur to enjoy spending time at this well-organized event on beautiful Daniel Island. I understand 7,952 fans showed up for the “day” session and 6,542 for the “night” session. We are so very lucky to have a venue like the Family Circle Cup Stadium to bring people from all over the world to show off the Charleston area and all it offers.

Fortunately, I took my little Sony camera sans all the bells and whistles and gigantic lens. As I was taking pictures of Jelena Jankovic (2007 champion) and Tamira Paszek holding court, literally, I couldn’t help notice the variety of hats in the crowd. I remembered GreaterCharleston.com allows you to upload photos or albums of photos to share, so I thought it would be fun to snap pictures of The Hats of the Family Circle Cup and load them in an album on GreaterCharleston.com. Perhaps you can find a familiar hat in my album!

By the way, Jankovic defeated Paszek 6-2, 6-3.

Second Annual Park Week

Monday, May 9: Peninsula Pedal

This bike tour begins at 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Beaufain Street and Ashley Avenue. Although all levels and bikes are welcome, this event is for adults only. The ride begins at Colonial Lake with stops at Cannon Park, Waterfront Park, and Chapel Street Fountain Park. The Conservancy’s resident cyclist, Kellen Goodell, will lead participants on a scenic ride with prizes and giveaways along the way. There also will be a brief bicycle safety talk to review the rules of the road. Free.

Tuesday, May 10: Paws in the Park Walk

Join us for a Bark Angel event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Hampton Park. Bring your four-legged friend for an interactive walk through Hampton Park with stops along the way to get tips and treats. Participating businesses include Charleston Dog Walker, Sun Dog Cat Moon, Bark Busters, Dog @ Your Door and Camp Bow Wow. Free.

Wednesday, May 11: Marion Square Caladium Planting

Get a little taste of gardening heaven from 10 a.m. to noon as Park Angels gather to plant caladiums – also known as Angel Wings — in Marion Square. The bulbs will come to life just as the summer season begins with an explosion of bright, pink foliage. No gardening experience needed, just meet at the corner of King and Calhoun streets armed with your gardening gloves. A few lucky Angels just might take home some prizes and giveaways.

 

Thursday, May 12: Educate You: Eating Your Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit from Creative Container Gardens
Join lifelong gardener and horticulturist Jim Martin as he presents doable ways to grow an edible garden out of containers. This event is from 6-7:30 p.m. at Hazel Parker Playground. In case of rain, the event will be in the park recreational building. Free.

The class will cover:

What containers work best for the edible garden.

Soil mixes for pot culture.

Different edibles for containers and their growing requirements.

Creative staking methods to go vertical.

Knowing what to grow at what season of the year in the Lowcountry edible garden.

Friday, May 13: Evening at Etiwan

Gather at Etiwan Park on Daniel Island for an evening under the stars. The event begins at 5:30 p.m., and stargazing begins after sunset. Pack a picnic and bring a blanket to enjoy music in the park as the sun goes down. After dark we will look into the night sky with an stargazing program hosted by Lowcountry Stargazers. This event is free, but registration is required; sign up at http://budurl.com/89rd

 

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.CharlestonParksConservancy.org. 

 

2011 Moms’ Run Celebrates Mothers and Furthers Postpartum Depression Awareness

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. – On Mother’s Day weekend, honor moms everywhere by supporting a cause that helps women and their families suffering from postpartum depression in the Lowcountry and beyond. The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation is hosting the eighth annual 5K Moms’ Run/Walk at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 at Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island.

The annual certified event is the foundation’s largest fundraiser and furthers its efforts of educating, supporting and healing women suffering from postpartum depression. 

“This event is all about moms and their families. We want to recognize women across the Lowcountry and beyond who are currently dealing with this illness or have recovered from it. This is a chance for all families to enjoy a fun event and support a very important cause” says Risa Mason, licensed clinical psychologist and foundation executive director.

The Foundation was created in 2000 in memory of Ruth Rhoden Craven; a young mother who suffered from postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. Just two and half months following her son’s birth, and with no prior history of mental illness, Ruth committed suicide. Ruth’s mother Helena Bradford and two of Ruth’s closest friends formed the Foundation as way to honor Ruth’s memory, prevent similar tragedies from occurring and help other women to access quality treatment and recover from this fairly widespread and often overlooked illness.

Late registration and packet pick-up is from 6:30-7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 at Blackbaud Stadium. The race starts promptly at 8 a.m. at Blackbaud Stadium and continues through the scenic Etiwan Park neighborhood before ending back inside Blackbaud Stadium for the Finish Line Celebration. Festivities continue until 11 a.m. with the popular band Soul Fish, free food and refreshments from Daniel Island restaurants, fun for the kids and family friendly vendors. The awards ceremony will begin at  9:30 a.m.

Daniel Island Grille, 259 Seven Farms Drive, is hosting a pre-race pasta dinner from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, May 6. Cost is $10 for pasta dinner and salad. The Foundation also will benefit from a post-race reception and Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar at Daniel Island Grille beginning at noon. A portion of the proceeds from both events will benefit the Foundation. 

Registration is $25 per person; $10 for children 12 and under (including a T-shirt). Strollers are welcome.  Participants may also wear an optional sign in support or memory of someone with PPD.

For more information or to register for the Moms’ Run, visit www.PPDSupport.org. For sponsorship information, contact Risa Mason at 843-769-0444 or 843-345-7294.

 

Air Plus Heating & Air Conditioning

The Plus in Air Plus is much more than an attempt at a catchy name – it is what sets us apart from others in the residential and commercial air conditioning industry. Whether it is a simple change-out, service call or if you need diagnostic and design services to resolve chronic moisture, humidity or indoor air quality issues, Air Plus has so much more to offer. Air Plus was formed in 2003 not only to provide superior sales and service, but also to provide a much needed whole-building system approach to resolving comfort and health-related issues resulting from, or aggravated by, inadequate interior environmental control. To accomplish this goal, Air Plus has assembled a team of professionals unmatched in the industry and capable of providing services well beyond the abilities of a typical air conditioning company.

No one is happy when their home or business is uncomfortable, unhealthy or too expensive to condition. That’s why we’ve put the Plus in Air Plus. We know you will appreciate the difference. So if you are in need of replacement heating and air conditioning equipment, quality service or if you have chronic or unresolved moisture, humidity or air quality concerns that no one can seem to fix, we encourage you to call us today.

Recycled Appliances & Parts

Recycled appliances & Parts
843-771-5025

Disabled American Veterans Brings Message to Air Expo 2011

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) brings its message of service and volunteerism in support of our nation’s combat-wounded men and women to the The Charleston Air Expo on April 9.

More than sixty-five years ago, sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers launched off an aircraft carrier to conduct the famed Doolittle Raid over Japan. The mission proved to be one of the most galvanizing events of the Second World War – establishing the B-25 as a symbol of American military strength and determination. Today, in its modern-day mission with the Disabled American Veterans Flight Team, the B-25 serves as a reminder of the sacrifices veterans have made and continue to make for freedom. In the company of this historic bomber, the DAV Flight Team travels to airshows throughout the country increasing public awareness of disabled veterans and providing information about DAV programs and benefits.

“The DAV is thrilled to bring our message of volunteerism and support to our nation’s sick and disabled veterans to this air show. We believe the men, women and children who will visit this air show are the patriotic, military-friendly citizens that have helped make this nation so great,” said DAV National Commander Wallace Tyson. “The DAV is proud to be among this crowd, and meet those who want to know more about our service to veterans.”

Disabled American Veterans, representing more than 1.2 million disabled veterans, is a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. It is dedicated to one, single purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families.

For more information about Disabled American Veterans go to www.dav.org or follow the DAV Flight Team at www.facebook.com/davflightteam.

Double Dig in Chapel St. Fountain Park

Charleston Parks Conservancy Park Angels is installing 5 new gardens in 5 city parks in 4 days for the 2011 Double Dig Event! Just as double digging gives back to the health of the soil, our Double Dig event provides everyone the opportunity to get involved and give back to the community and improve the health and beauty of our city’s parks.

The first “dig” is at Chapel Street Fountain Park on Wednesday, April 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Double Dig in Elliotborough Park and Community Garden

Charleston Parks Conservancy Park Angels is installing 5 new gardens in 5 city parks in 4 days for the 2011 Double Dig Event! Just as double digging gives back to the health of the soil, our Double Dig event provides everyone the opportunity to get involved and give back to the community and improve the health and beauty of our city’s parks.

The second “dig” is at Elliotborough Park and Community Garden on Thursday, April 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Double Dig in Simonton Park

Charleston Parks Conservancy Park Angels is installing 5 new gardens in 5 city parks in 4 days for the 2011 Double Dig Event! Just as double digging gives back to the health of the soil, our Double Dig event provides everyone the opportunity to get involved and give back to the community and improve the health and beauty of our city’s parks.

The third “dig” is at Simonton Park on Thursday, April 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Double Dig in Hazel Parker Playground

Charleston Parks Conservancy Park Angels is installing 5 new gardens in 5 city parks in 4 days for the 2011 Double Dig Event! Just as double digging gives back to the health of the soil, our Double Dig event provides everyone the opportunity to get involved and give back to the community and improve the health and beauty of our city’s parks.

The fourth “dig” is at Hazel Parker Playground on Friday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

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