Thursday Marty and I met Zachary and his mom at Converse College for a session. Kristie, his mom, won one of our portrait certificate sessions we donated to BI-LO Charities! I had fun chasing Zachary around and all I have to say is I love his eyes and wish I had his energy!!!!
Last but not least, a few silly faces....
This is Marty's....
Kristie, it was great meeting you and Zach - I hope he had fun shooting me too! :0)Saturday night we were at a Safe Harbor fundraiser sponsored by a local BI-LO store to raise money for the organization as part of the BI-LO Charity Classic. They served a great meal, had lots of silent auction items and a wonderful time!
This is the representative who was present from Safe Harbor explaining how to most people what she's holding is a plastic grocery bag. To the victims of Safe Harbor, it's a piece of luggage.
Here's one of the tables full of auction items.
The crowded room!
The t-shirts on display as part of Safe Harbor's clothesline project.
As being part of United Way, I knew about Safe Harbor and what their purpose was. What I didn't realize was exactly how many services they offer to victims of domestic violence. For more information about Safe Harbor and the services they offer, click here.
I would also like to thank Tara for asking us to come out for the event. We were set up to take pictures of all the guests if they chose to have a picture taken! It was great meeting some new folks and seeing some BI-LO people I haven't seen in a few months!!!!
So I was emailed by two people to say they saw me in the paper on Sunday. The Charleston Post and Courier covered the bride run. Yep...there's me in the background before I handed the camera to Marty (who ended up coming down Friday night because their game was rained out). I held my camera a while...finally couldn't stand it any longer...I had to hand it to Marty so I could toss oranges. It's so much fun and the runners and walkers are very thankful for BI-LO and everything they provide.
Photo: Alan Hawes / The Post and Courier
Saturday - RACE DAY! The alarm clock goes off around 5am for me anyway - we have to be ready to go about 6am. The first thing is to line up the pickup trucks and load them with t-shirts to throw out to the crowd.
Then we go across the bridge and line up at the start line.
T-shirts ready to be thrown out!
Before the run starts, they have a wheelchair race.
Then we finally start moving. Going over the bridge is very windy.
The people line the streets waiting for the runners and walkers.
And try to catch a t-shirt.
Once we get to the post race field it's time for the breakfast of champions - a Johnsville Brat. Stan Streetman always has the grill out and the brats ready by the time we get there.
Here's one of the water stations waiting on the runners.
And here they come! Ready for some fruit.
This is what Marion Square looks like on race day....not much room to move!
Some of the BI-LO team throwing oranges to the crowd. 
And the other water station handing out water.
It doesn't take too long for the crowds to slowly start dwindling down. By that point, you're ready for a break and a chance to sit down. You can see the pallets have been cleared of the fruit, muffins and bagels.
At 11am it's time to get all the BI-LO crew together for the Team BI-LO picture. 
Then it time to start cleaning up....moving all the pallets out of the way
and stacking them up to be loaded back on a truck.
The water that was leftover is loaded back on a trailer.
And the food that's left is donated to the local food bank. They come to pick it up...
and we load it up for them.
And here's a shot of the aftermath.....although it doesn't take the city of Charleston long at all to clean up the mess...they are very quick at getting everything back to normal.
Although it was a long day, we were done a little earlier than normal this year. Seemed like we had a LOT more volunteers who helped out tremendously. Sorry for the late post...Friday was a long day and we have to get up early on Saturday so I didn't get to post these until now. Friday began with the arrival of the apples, oranges, bananas, bagels and muffins that all had to be unloaded and stacked on the pallets. There are 2 fruit/bread stations and 2 water stations that were set up. This is the ones right on Calhoun St. The others were across Marion Square right up next to the hotel. Everyone did a great job of helping out and the fruit was ready to go in no time!
Here's some of the drivers who were down there to help. I hate to say it, but as much as I love my business and working from home, I definitely miss the people I worked with at BI-LO. From left to right is Dennis Howard (Shaggy), Don Crisp, Paul Fant (Candyman) and Robert Keller! I miss you guys, but I am glad I got to see you all in Charleston!
It was a little foggy to start with on Friday....here's a shot of Marion Square and our hotel before the Bridge Run.....tomorrow it will be packed with people!!!!
The other fruit/bread station....all ready to go!
Once you help out here for a while, I promise you won't want to see another banana for a while!!!! Ask these ladies if you don't believe me!!!!
This year we had a pretty big station set up.
I went back to the auditorium to take a few more shots of the Expo....Rusty Streetman and the crew in the BI-LO booth!!!!
This year I was able to attend the press luncheon at Lowndes Grove Plantation. I had never heard of it before and wasn't sure I was going the right way to get to it, but I was and it was a very beautiful plantation. This was the view of the Ashley River there.
At the luncheon, BI-LO presented a check for $17,414 to benefit the MUSC Children's hospital and....
a check from BI-LO and Pepsi for $29,021 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
After the luncheon I was off to the Kid's Run at Hampton Park. When I first got there, there wasn't too many people there, but the park quickly filled up with kids and their families - and Walter's Pals!!! For those BI-LO people who know Hardy and Kathryn Peters, here are their boys with Becky Broccoli....they have grown up so fast!!!! It was not the same seeing them running around instead of being pushed in a stroller!!!! They are so cute!!!
Walter's Pals at the main stage getting ready for the warm-up. They had so much fun dancing around with all the kids!!!
Buddy Banana was always posing for the camera!!!
The kids were lined up to play Plinko at the BI-LO tent for their shot at winning some prizes!
After the kids run, it was back to my room to get ready for the team BI-LO party that night. BI-LO hosts the party for all the people there helping out and all of the BI-LO vendors participating in the events. It is held at the Maritime Center and includes an oyster roast. I always love the opportunity to get to see Dave and Carol Cooke there....here's Dave with the oysters.
A shot of the event from the dock.
I like the casualness of the BI-LO team party...gives everyone a chance to sit around and talk a while and to get to know the vendors a little.
After the dinner, it's time to go back to the auditorium and clean up from the expo. Here's a shot of the aftermath....not too bad this year - it was actually a LOT cleaner than normal!
Here's Katie, Crystal, and Sue breaking down the BI-LO display and packing it up!
Friday was a long day but once you're done the only thing that's left is race day....it's starts early though!!!!!
