Caught by another camera!

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

Click here to see all the images from the Post and Courier - http://www.charleston.net/photos/galleries/2008/apr/06/cooper_river_bridge_run_2008/

Day 4 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

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.

Another view of the crowd on Calhoun St.

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.

Now I'm back home and trying to get caught up on things!!!!

Day 3 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

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!!!!!

Day 2 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

Today I woke up to a rainy and chilly day. The guys had unloaded the pallets at Marion Square in preparation for post-race set up.
I went down to the auditorium to the runner's expo. Here's the front of the building.
A display at the Southern Home booth.....
I think one of the favorite booths was this one....people were able to spin the wheel and try to win a loaf of bread.
Here are a few aerial shots of the expo participants.....
Tomorrow will be a full day for me.....so I'm off to bed now. Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off Saturday until after the Bridge Run...it's not looking too promising at the moment!!!! And just in case anyone wants to know, this year they are expecting a little over 40,000 runners and walkers.

Day 1 - Team BI-LO - Cooper River Bridge Run

Today was Day 1 of preparing for the 31st annual Cooper River Bridge Run. The past 3 years I have been down to Charleston was with BI-LO to help get ready for the expo and post race. This year, I was asked to come down and photograph what I am normally here doing. I will be taking some of the images from the time I'm here and creating a slideshow for BI-LO to show what all goes on while we're here. We will also show the vendor participation and the amount of exposure those vendors are receiving.

The day starts out at the Gaillard Auditorium - the location of the Runner's Expo where the runners and walkers come to pick up their race packets containing their bib number, computer timing chip and other event information. There are numerous booths set up where vendors of all types are set up and promoting their products. BI-LO is one of the major sponsors and has several vendors passing out samples and/or coupons. Here are some pics from today.

Pallets of product being brought in to the auditorium...
And more lined up outside ready to be taken to their booths.
John, Ricky and Riley moving the pallets to where they need to go.

BI-LO getting the Southern Home booth ready.
Wednesday night is always the Bridge Run Sponsor Dinner Cruise. We board SpiritLine Cruise's Spirit of Carolina at the Charleston Aquarium for a tour around the harbor. The cruise is for all of the sponsors who participate in the Bridge Run.
All of the BI-LO associates who were recognized - Mark Holiday, Rusty Streetman, Ricky Barnes, and Katie Sanfilippo.
Although it was very windy and rainy, I did manage to go up to the top for some shots of the bridge.
I enjoyed getting to see some of the vendors again. It's always nice working with a lot of the people down here......especially Carl and Brian from Community Coffee - thanks again for remembering me - you know your halzenut is my favorite!!!!!

Okay, it's getting late and I'm headed to bed....more tomorrow!!!!!

If you're interested, you can click here for more information on the Bridge Run.