Longtime island businessman David Martin wins impact award

David Martin, owner of Hilton Head’s Piggly Wiggly grocery store, was announced as the inaugural Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award winner at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Annual Community Meeting, held March 29 at the Arts

Center of Coastal Carolina with more than 300 people in attendance.

Community Foundation Board of Directors chair Jackie Rosswurm, along with Joan and Wade Webster, longtime supporters of the Community Foundation, presented the award to Martin.

Martin’s heartfelt acceptance speech referenced the charitable work of his late father, Gene.

Martin, who has resided on Hilton Head Island since 1969, has been a giving member of the community for decades. His nomination for the award focused on his important work with Lowcountry Alliance for Healthy Youth (LCAHY). The mission of LCAHY is “to bring together all sectors of our community to identify and implement strategies that promote positive youth development by addressing substance use/abuse and related risk behaviors.”

Two LCAHY initiatives that Martin led were cited in the presentation: Banning the sale of tobacco products in Piggly Wiggly and the establishment of the “We I.D. the LCAHY Way” training program that educates local businesses about underage drinking laws and their consequences.

Martin received a crystal memento along with a $10,000 grant to distribute to a nonprofit organization based in the Community Foundation’s four-county service area of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper Counties. Martin chose the following local organizations to receive funds from the grant: Child Abuse Prevention Association of Beaufort (CAPA); Deep Well Project; Hilton Head Island High School Booster Club; LCAHY; Sandalwood Food Pantry; Volunteers in Medicine (VIM); and You Are Not Alone (YANA) Club.

The award was the culmination of a memorable evening, which included moving and inspiring speeches by Nazli Flores, a Krum Scholar and first-generation college graduate; Lesley Gilbert, Women in Philanthropy chair; and keynote speaker Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.

To learn more about Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, visit cf-lowcountry. org or call 843-681-9100.