FOUNDATION FOCUS Lucky Dogs

from Elegant Island Living March 2023

by Elegant Island Living Media Group

Sparking Connectionswith Memory Matters

Meet the Paws Behind the People

Each month, the Foundation Focus brings readers a glimpse of the operations, charities, companies, and team behind e RSM Classic. is month, in the spirit of St. Patricks’ Day luck, we are introducing you to another special part of the tournament family: our four-legged friends. We may be calling them lucky dogs, but really, we’re lucky to have them to inspire us, remind us to exercise, and give us many moments of pure joy and laughter.

Flint

BREED: English Cocker Spaniel

FAMILY: Christian Freeman, Tournament Manager, husband Dylan. and Livi Jane Flint is the (un)ofﬁcial mayor of The RSM Classic. He loves to sprint, play fetch and simply hang out with his mom.

Weller

BREED: English Cocker Spaniel

FAMILY: Lexie Love Whatley, Merchandise Manager, husband William, Eloise, Clara Mae and Alice

Weller is happiest when he’s playing with his BFF Flint or roaming the woods in Camden County.

Betty

BREED: Labrador Retriever

FAMILY: Todd Thompson, Tournament Director, and wife Leigh

Betty enjoys keeping Todd on his toes and sneaking away every chance she gets to search for any treat she can ﬁnd.

Hank and Sister

BREED: Labrador Retriever (Hank); Mixed Breed (Sister)

FAMILY: Mark Love, Executive Director, and wife Lynn

Hank loves lumbering around and nudging people with his rather large but adorable head. Sister loves convincing Mark to take Hank for a ride so she can have her very own private quiet time.

Charlie and Fletcher

BREED: Rescue (Charlie); Golden Retriever (Fletcher)

FAMILY: John McKenzie, Director of Sales, and wife Mary

Charlie and Fletcher love demonstrating exceptional Southern hospitality and inspiring John. They eagerly anticipate their lunchtime and evening walks and their trips to Lake Toxaway.

Sophie and Ellie

BREED: Pugs

FAMILY: Jamie Bohler, Accounting Manager, and husband Jeremy

Sophie and Ellie love sister time and watching intently as mom crunches numbers and creates detailed spreadsheets.

Skye

BREED: Miniature Australian Shepherd

FAMILY: Tony Schuster, Operations Director, and wife Aimee, and Godparents: Melanie Trotter (Mel Mom), Media Director, and husband David

Skye splits her time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and St. Simons Island. She loves exploring on the beach, riding in a golf cart, chasing tree rodents (aka squirrels) and helping Mel Mom type.

“I completely trust Matt with my insurance needs and those of my real estate clients. I know he always has my best interest in mind when it comes to coverage and price range. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs their properties protected and insured.” - Tammy Green

Libraries Win Award

Marshes of Glynn Libraries, which includes the St. Simons Island Public Library and Brunswick Glynn County Library, was recently recognized as Georgia Public Library of the Year for its efforts to strengthen community partnerships, diversify its funding portfolio, and expand services to meet the informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs of Glynn County residents. “ e staff are the stars of our library system,” said Director Geri Mullis. “With friendly faces and listening ears, they transfer the vision of our libraries into reality for patrons of all ages. Staff help job seekers to find work, give snacks to food-vulnerable youth, teach languages, provide children’s books for families to start home libraries, are a social outlet for many people, share technology tools for patrons to express their creativity, curate archival collections to preserve local history,

Volunteers Honored By Kgib

Celebrating community and honoring volunteers was the focus of Keep Golden Isles Beautiful’s recent Volunteer and in between all of that, staff checked out a ton of great books.” Learn more at georgialibraries.org/library-awards2022/#mog.

Recognition breakfast. With a staff of just two, the 40+ year-old educational nonprofit depends on volunteer effort, community/government partners and financial supporters to further community betterment activities, projects and initiatives. Ten community volunteer and partner awards were presented for the calendar year 2022: Community Partner of the Year/Non-Profit, e Torras Foundation; Community Partner of the Year/Profit, Savannah Bee Company; Outstanding Public Service/City Government, Garrow Alberson; Outstanding Public Service/County Government, Paul Andrews; Outstanding Elected Official, Glynn County Commissioner Walter Rafolski; Environmental Steward of the Year, Mara Lockard; Horizon Award, Geoffrey Gable, Jr.; Shining Star Award, Iglesia Aventista Del Septimo Dia; Hindery Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer of the Year Award, Dazzlin Divaz Social Club; Bootsie Mason Award of Excellence, Dawn Franco. Each recipient received a custom-made award hand crafted from scrap wood and bicycle parts created by Terry Trowbridge.

Identifying Sex Trafficking In The Golden Isles

All Rotary Clubs in the Golden Isles are raising awareness of Human and Sex Trafficking in our community. It is real; it is here. Do you know how to identify victims or possible brothels in your neighborhood? Do you know how to report suspicious behavior or assist a victim? e public, including parents and community leaders, is encouraged to attend an educational and awareness session: Sex Trafficking is Real and Here in the Golden Isles. Speakers will include Susan Norris, Founder/Executive Director, Rescuing Hope and Amy Hutsell, Program Director for Human and Sex Trafficking at Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. A survivor, Dorsey Jones, will share her story. Tuesday, March 28 at the College of Coastal Georgia Conference Center at 6:00 p.m. Specialized action-focused training will be available on Wednesday, March 29 for clergy, hospitality/vacation rentals and businesses. ssirotary.org/hst-in-the-golden-isles/

Happily Providing Children’s Dental Care for Glynn and Surrounding Counties for 25 Years!

Stylish Living On Ssi

Jodie Ryndak Living Stylishly, a home and lifestyle boutique oﬀers a unique collection of home interior products including everything you need to furnish your living space from the largest design pieces to the smallest elements that personalize and complement your style. Jodie is an Interior Designer by degree and an enthusiast of beautiful interiors, both classic and fashion forward. She and her husband, Tony, have been residents of St Simons Island for the past 11 years and are now looking forward to being part of the business community.

e business is located at 3509 Frederica Road (near Atlantic and Frederica), and Jodie invites you to drop in and browse. Visit jodieryndak.com or ﬁnd her on Instagram @jodieryndak_livingstyishly.

NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING AT THE KING AND PRINCE

Roland Biron, a veteran leader in the hospitality industry, has joined e King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort as its new Director of Sales. Biron will manage all sales operations for the resort, design plans that ensure efficiency and achievement, and foster relationships with resort clients. “As e King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort enters its 88th year, we are confident in Biron’s ability as a leader, and we’re fortunate he will be guiding our efforts in the realm of business development. His extensive expertise in hospitality and his professional history of exceeding sales goals will allow our organization to continue growing within the resort industry while simultaneously expanding beyond,” said Bart Johnson, General Manager. Biron joins resort’s team with more than 30 years of sales experience for luxury hotel brands including e Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, and InterContinental Hotels. kingandprince.com

COOL BLUE LASER-MED SPA REVOLUTIONIZES SKINCARE

Oﬀering state-of-the art, premiere treatments that can’t be found anywhere else in the area, Cool Blue Laser-Med Spa on St. Simons Island provides surgical results without you ever going under the knife! In addition to typical med-spa oﬀerings, Cool Blue elevates both laser hair removal and spider vein treatment procedures with top-of-the line technology and highly trained estheticians. eir UL erapy triggers collagen production to lift tired and aging skin. e Salt Facial restores, replenishes, and heals the skin’s natural beauty within the skin’s layers using deep penetrating ultrasound and high-powered LED phototherapy. Each visit is kept discreet and comfortable, making sure you have the most luxurious experience every time. Cool Blue invites you to come get pampered today! Contact them by phone: 912.268.2790 or text: 912.475.4250, or visit coolbluelaseraesthetics.com.

Coming Together For Casa

e 2023 CASA Fashion Show and Luncheon is scheduled for ursday, April 6. Lovely models will walk the runway in spring and summer styles from local retailers and boutiques in e Cloister Ballroom on Sea Island. As always, a scrumptious luncheon prepared by the Sea Island chefs will precede the runway action. ere will also be some spectacular raﬄe items up for grabs. is year’s theme is “Together we can change the world,” so reserve your seat at this always fun signature fundraiser and be an agent of change by supporting the important mission of CASA Glynn. Keep an eye on the mailbox for your invitation. For more information, visit casaglynn.org or call the CASA Glynn oﬃce at 912.264.4448.

Celebrate Spring At The Farm

Blossom, Poppy, Percy, Petunia, and the other animals at e Farm at Oatland North will be happy to greet you at the annual Spring Festival. is free event that includes games, face-painting, snacks, and lots of family fun takes place at 70 Cannons Point, SSI, on April 2 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Last year there was a record number of island families who came out to join the volunteers and donors who ensure loving care is provided to more than three dozen rescued animals. All donations to the non-proﬁt Farm at Oatland North beneﬁt the care and feeding of the animals. thefarmssi.org

A Call To Connect

VIA Connects 2023 is a 1-day conference designed for womxn looking to network and share insights into changes that impact our personal lives, our careers, and our communities. VIA Connects invites womxn to be brave by offering opportunities to hear powerful stories, learn valuable skills, discover tools that inspire growth, and build relationships. ey promise a enriching personal, professional, and collective experience. Join VIA Connects on March 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Marshes of Glynn Brunswick Library in Historic Downtown Brunswick. Registration is $25. Space is limited. Scholarships are available. Women are invited to channel their energies to create and curate a community that stands together. VIA Connects is the first event by VIA (Voices in Action) Collective Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit grassroots organization incorporated in 2022 by a visionary team of womxn living and working in the Golden Isles. Learn more: Viaconnects.org | @viaconnectus | #VIAConnects23.

Hans F. Trupp, CCIM founder and former Chairman of Trupp Hodnett Enterprises and e Management Company prior to taking the companies public (NYSE, RZT) in an IPO in 1998 has reentered the real estate business locally through an aﬃliation with eXp realty. eXp is a cloud based publicly traded (NASDAQ, EXPI) company with more than 96,000 real estate agents in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, Mexico, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain and continues to scale internationally.

is internet based high technology company will totally revolutionize the real estate industry both with relationships of buyers and sellers and the relationship that sales people have with the company. Trend Magazine has described eXp as the Amazon of real estate. eXp realty oﬀers a very unique agent attraction program and Hans has partnered with veteran Atlanta broker John Adams to inform and educate agents throughout the United States about eXp, one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the nation. Adams is well known throughout Georgia for his educational activities on behalf of the Georgia Real Estate Commission, and his regular appearances on Fox 5 Atlanta and CNN. He continues to be a freelance journalist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with more than 1,000 articles in print. anks to the internet, eXp’s state of the art revolutionary cloud based technology and a unique revenue sharing plan Hans and his team are able to oﬀer a performance-based, no risk maximum 4% listing commission on any real estate both residential and commercial. No risk - you can cancel the listing at any time for any reason. Hans would also be pleased to share his broad business knowledge and experience with anyone interested in a free no obligation consultation session with regard to any real estate problem. Call, email or text him if you would like to explore his listing program or if you have any questions with regard to eXp, one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the nation with now over 96,000 agents and growing.

Volunteers Needed For Marsh Madness Cleanups

Roll up your sleeves, pull on your boots and come get muddy with Keep Golden Isles Beautiful! Help keep our beautiful Marshes of Glynn litter free at one of THIRTY (Yes, 30!) March “Marsh Madness” cleanups! Sponsored locally by Georgia-Pacific Brunswick Cellulose Mill and kicking off the national Great America Cleanup effort locally, these local salt marsh cleanups have been planned for various days of the week and times, to accommodate the largest number of volunteers possible. 8.6 tons of trash, including 64 tires, were removed last March. Volunteers will receive a custom MM t-shirt for working 3 cleanups (minimum) or a custom MM aluminum water bottle for 5 cleanups (minimum). Bags, gloves and volunteer water will be provided; boots, sunscreen, bug spray, clothes/shoes for mud recommended. Individual cleanup event listings, containing location maps, can be found at kgib.org.

Triple The Impact

Join Communities in Schools of Glynn for their inaugural “Tripling the Impact” Tripletail Tournament at Morningstar Marina on St. Simons Island on April 29. Your participation, sponsorships, or

Tee It Up

Come out to support the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia Steve Holt Golf Classic presented by Gnat’s Landing. is 4-person scramble tournament beneﬁting the Glynn and McIntosh Clubs takes place on Friday, May 5 at the Jekyll Island Golf Club. Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. and there’s an 11:00 a.m. shotgun start. Your $125 individual player or $500 team registration includes a fun-ﬁlled day on the course, awards and afterparty at Gnat’s Landing following the tournament. Hole sponsorships available for $200. Register at bgcsega.com.

donations for our tournament will help raise funds to support at-risk youth in our Glynn County and McIntosh County School Systems. Tripletail Tournament registration is $100 per angler and includes: Captain’s

Meeting, ﬁshing, Band Party ticket and entry prize. Lines in at 7:00 a.m. and weigh-in at 4:00 p.m. After the tournament, rock out at the Band Party at Morningstar Marina. Starting at 5:00 p.m., there will be music by Idle Hands and a Low Country boil by City Market. Band Party-only tickets are $35 per person/$65 per couple and include food, drink tickets, and koozie. Get your tickets or register for the tournament at cisofglynn.org.

THERE WERE LOTS OF OYSTER KNIVES BUSY AT THE SHUCKING TABLES UNDER THE

OF GASCOIGNE

THE ST. SIMONS LAND TRUST’S ANNUAL OYSTER ROAST. Approximately 1600 guests attended the sold-out event, where our local restaurants served up an abundance of delicious food, and the amazing crew of volunteers worked hard to make sure everything went smoothly. It’s always such a pleasure to see island residents and guests from far and near come out to this wonderful celebration of community and support the cause of preservation.