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Our friends at Amavida Coffee have created an international project to change lives and communities - one cup of coffee at a time. “Cup By Cup” is a coffee brand created to finance the project. Beach-based charity Global Effect buys the coffee beans from growers in the southern Dominican Republic; Amavida imports, roasts and packages the coffee at its beach warehouse. The product is marketed to churches in the United States, and proceeds are invested in poor communities in northern Dominican Republic to create businesses and provide for families and children.

“Why do they call this place The Camel Club?”, my newly acquired friend from Tennessee asked me.

I replied, “It was my idea. Having been around the recovering community for many years, I have always heard the saying ‘A camel can go a week without a drink. A man ought to be able to go one day’” .
 

The unique and fun SoWal-sponsored event begins with a launch party at Crabby Steve's at the Highpointe Resort in Seacrest on Friday, November 11 at 5PM.

The gates open in Rosemary Beach on Saturday, Novemeber 12 at 10AM. The creative and whimsical cottages ara always a big hit with kids of all ages and is one of SoWal's best events.

Cottages will be on display through November 26. This year, everyone will have a fair chance to win one of the cottages in a raffle. Tickets are $5, available on site and at the Hidden Lantern in Rosemary Beach, as well as online.

On August 27 at 6 p.m. Pandora’s in Grayton Beach will set the stage for a fun SoWal-sponsored party with live music provided by Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces. The event will feature live and silent auctions items with bidding on exotic trips to Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas and even a seven bedroom home in St. Barth for a week!

For the football fanatics, there will be a VIP package to the Alabama/LSU football game with seats in the ‘The ZONE’ and a pre-game, on-field tour by the University of Alabama athletic department.

Recording South Walton’s history is thankfully performed by a handful of dedicated people. The few remaining members of the Coastal Heritage Preservation Foundation love history and love keeping it alive.

The preservation effort began in the 1970s by Martha Cory, a resident of Grayton Beach. Cory wanted to renovate and preserve the unique character and architect of the SoWal quirky community. When she died, leadership was passed on to Colonel Bob Fleet, who later recruited Dick McCrite as president.

Last night, Summer Kitchen Cafe in Rosemary Beach hosted dinner for families  with Lighthouse Family Retreat as they have done for many years. It was such a treat to be around happy families starting what is sure to be a memorable week in Rosemary Beach.

Childhood cancer impacts everyone in the family. Understandably, the child with cancer most often becomes the focus of concern, often leaving the siblings feeling lonely, insecure and left out. The Lighthouse program offers special attention for every member of the family – moms, dads, siblings, and the child with cancer.

It's a popular and important program with the goal of saving lives. And with 26 miles of beach and lifeguards stationed at only eight public beach accesses (click to see the list of eight), Beach Safety Director Gary Wise knows there  are many long stretches of beach that go unguarded.

There will be a lot of hand holding on the beaches  Saturday, but what we really need is a group hug.

Hundreds of SoWal residents and tourists, as well as thousands of concerned citizens worldwide will gather along the beaches to send a message, "no to offshore oil drilling, yes to clean energy".

As a frequent visitor to Eden Gardens State Park, I admit driving down the pot-holed old road to the park could be a trying experience. But I miss the grand entrance that allowed me to enjoy the breathtakingly beautiful first glimpse of the white columned Wesley House with its wraparound porch dotted with rocking chairs.