Helping Out highlights some of the many charitable events and activities going on in the Charleston area. Submissions should be sent to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com.
More than 5,000 people are expected to take to the streets for the American Heart Association’s Lowcountry Heart Walk Sept. 29 at Liberty Square in downtown Charleston. The Heart Walk is the association’s largest single fundraising event across the nation. Everyone is welcome and participation is free.
The Heart Walk is a non-competitive, 5K fundraising walk with teams from local companies and community groups, and friends and family members of all ages. Heart and stroke survivors will be distinguished at the walk with special red-and-white caps.
This year’s fundraising goal for the Lowcountry Heart Walk is $700,000. Funds raised support research, public health programs and community education to fight heart disease and stroke, America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. For more information, call 843-853-1597.
Hyundai Hope On Wheels and Hendrick Hyundai and Hendrick Hyundai North dealers recently awarded the Medical University of South Carolina with a $250,000 Hope Grant to support research focused on the treatment of neuroblastoma. MUSC is one of 41 recipients of Hope On Wheels’ 2012 Hyundai Hope Grants. In all, $10.25 million will be awarded in grants this month in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Hope On Wheels raised its grant award amount this year from $100,000 to $250,000. The month-long program marks the organization’s largest research grant donation period to date. It will bring the total amount committed to childhood cancer to $57 million since the program first began in 1998.
The competitive grant program was open to all Children’s Oncology Group institutions. Every proposal received was reviewed by Hope On Wheels’ medical advisory committee, comprised of leading pediatric oncologists from around the country.
The first 5K Pancake Run at Laurel Hill Plantation in Mount Pleasant is 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday and pancakes will be available after the race. The event benefits Crossbridge Family Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families as they cope with complex medical diagnoses and other life-changing events. Crossbridge provides financial, emotional and spiritual support. Packet pickup is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the Crossbridge office, 1177 Gregorie Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant. Register on race day from 7 to 7:30 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine.
 Businesses along Market Street helped kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month treating children and their families to frozen yogurt, toys and carriage rides. (Photo/Provided) |
Businesses along Market Street helped kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month during an event at Sweet CeCe’s Frozen Yogurt & Treats on Aug. 29. Child cancer patients and their families, along with members of Chase After a Cure, enjoyed free frozen yogurt, a carriage ride from Old South Carriage Co. and a free gift from Wonder Works. Also, Kelly Sheehy DeGroot, author of Princess Charleston of Isle of Palms, joined the children via video for a reading of her book and gave each child a copy of the book.
Wonder Works is also supporting the Hugs for Harper Tennis Championship this weekend, which benefits the Hugs for Harper Endowment to fund pediatric research at MUSC Children’s Hospital. And during the month of September, Wonder Works is hosting “Tattoo Tuesdays” at its four locations where customers may get glitter tattoos for $5, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Hugs for Harper.
The Charleston chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality, is hosting its second annual fundraiser. An Autumn Affair: A Wine and Artisan Food Celebration is 6-9 p.m. Sept. 27 at Lowndes Grove Plantation in downtown Charleston. The event features wine tastings, local artisan foods, live music from Lime and the Coconuts and a silent auction that benefits LDEI scholarships. Tickets are $45 and are available online at ldeicharleston.com.
North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey is serving up free breakfast to the public at Cork Neighborhood Bistro, 1067 E. Montague Ave. in North Charleston, from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday to benefit the Teacher’s Supply Closet. Donations will be accepted.
Teachers' Supply Closet is a nonprofit organization that provides free school supplies to teachers in the tri-county area who work at schools where 88% of the students are on the free or reduced lunch program. The organization suffered extensive water damage and loss of supplies on Aug. 28 when heavy rains and flooding throughout the area caused a blockage in a drain pipe that flooded the roof and facility.
This fall, the Chase Community Giving program is giving hundreds of charities across the country, including Spoleto Festival USA, the opportunity to win grants from $10,000 to $250,000. The public will vote for their favorite charities online and those organizations with the most votes share the grants. People can vote for Spoleto Festival USA through Sept. 19. Vote via Facebook or customers with a Chase Visa or a checking or savings account, can vote at www.Chase.com/ChaseGiving.
 This year’s Party for the Parks benefiting the Charleston Parks Conservancy is Sept. 22 at Colonial Lake. (Photo/Robert Donovan Photography) |
Music, a laser show, an aerialist and lakeside fire performance are all part of the third annual Party for the Parks — Amusement on the Avenue, a street festival benefiting the Charleston Parks Conservancy. This year’s event is set for 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 22 on Ashley Avenue in downtown Charleston. There will be local food, an open bar, live music, performers, and silent and live auctions. The evening will open with music from folk/rock band Coffee. Before sunset, aerialist Lila will dance to the reggae rhythm of The Dubplates. DJ Jerry Tiller will provide music at night and Homespun Hoops will do a lakeside fire performance.
Tickets are $55 in advance and $75 at the door. A VIP ticket is available for $150 and includes a $100 donation to the Charleston Parks Conservancy with member benefits and access to the VIP party area with a lounge, private bar and food by Magnolias, Blossom and Cypress restaurants. Purchase tickets at www.partyfortheparks.com.
Awendaw Green is hosting a concert benefit for the Nick A. Collins III Medical Expense Trust. Collins was seriously injured in a car accident and faces a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation. Participating in the Sept. 23 event are bands Sol Driven Train, Fowler's Mustache, Acoustic Muffin, The Reckoning, Ten Toes Up, Killer Whales, Stained Glass Wall, Sara Cole and the Hawkes, A Fragile Tomorrow, Rik Cribb and the Problems, Gracious Day, The AfterEnglish and The Hibachi Heroes.
Tickets are $15 in advance. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit awendawgreen.com.
The Charleston Parks Conservancy has been selected as the beneficiary of Whole Foods Market quarterly 5% Day.
On Sept. 18, the conservancy will receive 5% of the day’s net sales. Conservancy staff and volunteers will be at Whole Foods Market that day sharing information about the conservancy’s mission of further beautifying city of Charleston parks and green spaces and its community gardening projects.
Shoppers will have an opportunity to answer trivia questions and win prizes. Any shopper spending $100 or more can be entered into a drawing for one free ticket to Party for the Parks — Amusement on the Avenue, a street-festival fundraiser Sept. 22 at Colonial Lake. Party for the Parks tickets also will be available for purchase.
Whole Foods Market created 5% Days to give back to the local community by providing support to nonprofit organizations whose programs directly benefit the communities surrounding the store. Whole Foods Market is located at 923 Houston Northcutt Blvd. in Mount Pleasant.
Trident Medical Center will host a blood drive Sept. 14, and donors will receive a free coupon for a haircut from Sport Clips. The blood drive is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Trident Medical Center, Cafe B. To schedule an appointment, call 800-733-2767 or schedule online at www.redcrossblood.org. Walk-ins are welcome; donors with appointments will be taken first.
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