Café Thirty-A’s Annual Christmas Charity Ball, presented by honorary sponsors All Access Coach Leasing and Mercantile, was held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 and raised a record-breaking $64,000 for Caring and Sharing of South Walton, an organization that provides food and financial assistance to area families and individuals in need. This was the first charity ball held since longtime owner, Harriet Crommelin, passed away in early 2023. In honor of her memory, Café Thirty-A would like to thank Mercantile and All Access Coach Leasing for supporting this year’s event as the two Harriet Crommelin Honorary Sponsors. Through ticket sales, sponsorship, donations, and funds raised from the silent auction, the annual event raised a record-breaking grand total of $64,000 for Caring and Sharing of South Walton. The money raised will be used to provide local families with access to food, financial assistance, case management, and connection to other resources. “The $64,000 raised will help us continue providing necessary resources to Walton County families,” said Carly Barnes, executive director of Caring and Sharing of South Walton. “Thanks to the support of Cafe Thirty-A, the event sponsors, and the attendees, the event continues to get better and better. We are so thankful for the continued support!” The post Café Thirty-A Raises Record-Breaking $64,000 for Caring and Sharing of South Walton appeared first on South Walton Connections. Read More

The nominations have been announced for the 66th Grammy Awards. Donnie Sundal, a Walton County resident who contributed to Sam Bush’s album, Radio John: Songs of John Hartford, nominated for Best Bluegrass Album – is recognized for dual roles; Recording Engineer and Tenor Background Vocals on the song “In Tall Buildings.” Donnie is the owner of Neptone Recording Studio in Miramar Beach and a seasoned professional musician. On a whim to help a friend on vacation, Donnie brought enough recording gear to turn a vacation rental of Sam Bush’s into a mobile recording studio. “Once I started cutting the songs with Donnie digitally it was like, ‘Oh, now this is recording studio quality here.’ I was originally only meaning to make tapes of these John Hartford songs to show the guys in the Sam Bush Band and then maybe we’d record them,” says Sam Bush in an interview with thebluegrasssituation.com. Radio John is a tribute to Sam’s great friend and mentor, John Hartford. Sam plays every instrument on the album except the full band finale and sole original tune, “Radio John.” Donnie, his family and his band Boukou Groove will be cheering Sam Bush on in hopes he will win his fourth Grammy Award with more than a dozen lifetime nominations. “We love Sam Bush and are inspired by his career and commitment to his craft. It’s an honor to be a part of the album and his friend,” says Donnie. The Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com... Read More

Fore Her is excited to announce the 2024 Pink Walk & 5k on Saturday, January 27th presented by Emerald Coast Hospice. The event returns to The Village of Baytowne Wharf and will bring back the timed 5k race in addition to the Survivor Stroll and annual Walk, after a great success introducing the 5k in 2023. “I am so excited for this year’s Pink Walk to help so we can continue to help more breast cancer patients along the Emerald Coast,” says Jennifer Crawford, Board Vice President of Fore Her. “Our 2023 event had close to 200 runners and walkers and we are hoping to grow it even more this year” The community is invited to walk or run with friends and family, wear pink, and have fun while raising funds for breast cancer patients in financial need. Attendees will enjoy an after-party with a DJ, a photo booth, prizes, and food samples. All registered breast cancer survivors can enjoy the VIP Survivors’ Lounge sponsored by Rum Runners which will feature special treats including hand massages, and more. “This event helps raise funds for those who are financially struggling while battling breast cancer. The funds raised help with the things not covered by insurance to help relieve some stress for our recipients – utilities, rent, and additional living expenses” adds Crawford. Fore Her has sponsorships still available and will join current sponsors including Emerald Bay Plumbing, Jennifer Crawford Realtor, Keller Williams, Julie + Rob of Scenic Sotheby’s Realty, Fresh Prints... Read More

By Heather Bennett Eye The ecosystem provided by the Choctawhatchee Bay and surrounding areas is vital for environmental balance and biodiversity, with its waterways and estuaries serving as crucial components. These aquatic habitats not only support diverse life forms but also play a key role in regulating temperature, nutrient cycles, and serve as breeding grounds. Additionally, these waterways are integral to the local economy, contributing to fishing, recreation, and tourism. Preserving their health is essential for clean water sources, flood mitigation, and regional resilience. Sustainable practices and conservation efforts are crucial for ensuring the ongoing well-being of this important ecosystem. The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1996 dedicated to promoting swimmable, fishable waterways in Northwest Florida through monitoring, education, restoration and research. To inspire water stewardship, they are working to grow a network of supporters to protect these precious natural resources. Here are some of the recent ways they’ve been able to drive that mission forward. Through their education efforts, the CBA was recently able to bring hands-on science learning to over 3,600 students in our community through their Grasses in Classes program. Students grow shoreline grasses at their school, tend to salt marsh nurseries throughout the year, and receive monthly education on local estuarine topics. At the end of the school year, students will then plant their shoreline grasses at a designated salt marsh restoration site along Choctawhatchee Bay. This helps support the CBA’s living shoreline initiative. In October, CBA’s Executive Director Alison McDowell... Read More