Non-Profit Organizations

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Feb 13, 2012 - Savannah/Chatham CASA, Inc. held their first board meeting of the year recently and elected their new Board of Directors. The organization is widely supported by the Savannah business community.

The new executive committee will be: Chairperson, Karen Wilds (Savannah State University); Vice-Chairperson, Stephanie Mobley (Savannah Power Yoga); Secretary, Trudy Gellatly (The Gretsch Company); Treasurer, Ryan Sewell (Bernard Williams Company).

Wilds stated that during her chairman’s remarks that she looks forward to a successful 2012 and the continuous support of board. The Executive Committee will serve in their current role until December 31, 2012.

The Board of Directors also filled board vacancies during the meeting including Rev. Ricardo Manuel (Second Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church); Vernon Taylor, Jr. (IPC International); and Antoinette Scaringi (Premier Consulting, LLC). The new members will undergo Board Orientation in February and join the governing body at that time.

Savannah/Chatham CASA is known for its annual fundraiser, Dancing with Savannah Stars. Held last November, the fundraiser raised over $90,000 for the local child advocacy agency. Winners for the event included: Best Female Dancer – Ginger Fawcett (Liquid Ginger); Best Male Dancer – Jesse Blanco (The Coastal Source); Viewer’s Choice – Don Logana (WTOC-TV); and Top Fundraiser – Katy Moretz (Savannah Neurology). Post-event totals concluded that Ashlea Hilliard Carson (Carey Hilliard’s Restaurant) was the highest fundraiser with the most funds donated towards CASA. The program will host its 5th annual event this November.

Savannah/Chatham CASA is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that recruit, screen, train, and supervise community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children who are under the jurisdiction of the Chatham County Juvenile Court. Savannah/Chatham CASA is proudly supported through funding from Georgia Department of Human Services - Promoting Safe & Stable Families, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council –State of Georgia, United Way of the Coastal Empire, National CASA, Georgia CASA and direct public support.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Feb 6, 2012 – The Tybee Island Water and Energy Fair, sponsored by the Tybee Island Community Resource Committee, will be held this Saturday, Feb. 11.  It’s an opportunity for the public to learn more about renewable energy, and a chance for companies to educate community members on topics such as offshore wind energy, water conservation and reusing community resources.  

Local vendors, scientists, and organizations dedicated to protecting our region’s natural resources will be on hand giving demonstrations and teaching attendees about practical actions they can take for their homes and businesses.

The fair, which is free, will be held at the Tybee Island YMCA gym,  204 5^th St, Tybee Island, GA, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This year’s fair theme, ‘Know Your Impact,’ highlights how daily choices impact energy and water consumption, and also how individuals can have a positive impact on elected officials in crafting favorable clean energy policies, according to organizers.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) will be a participating company, according to Anna Cayce Smit, Clean Energy Associate for SACE.  The organization will be leading a workshop on offshore wind energy opportunities in Georgia, and will be available to answer questions at SACE’s booth.

“The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy appreciates the opportunity to promote offshore wind through the Tybee Island Water and Energy Fair,” said Smit. “As a coastal community, Tybee Island faces unique threats from climate change impacts, most notably sea level rise. Offshore wind energy represents a vast clean energy resource that, if developed responsibly, could significantly help in the fight against climate change.

According to SACE, offshore wind energy is not only clean and renewable but, unlike coal-fired power plants or nuclear reactors, does not consume water during energy production. Studies suggest Georgia may have up to 14,500 megawatts of developable offshore wind potential—enough to provide a third of the state’s electricity needs. For every 1,000 megawatts of wind energy, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that Georgia could annually save 1,628 million gallons of water and 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. Based on studies on the European offshore wind workforce, each megawatt of offshore wind energy could support 20 jobs here in Georgia.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 30, 2012 - Skidaway Institute of Oceanography researchers Aron Stubbins and Marc Frischer have been awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation for $224,037 to study the origins of organic carbon in glaciers. Glaciers and ice sheets represent the second largest reservoir of water in the global hydrologic system.

Stubbins and Frischer are part of an international team working on the two-year project.  Although, the carbon contained in the glacial ice is a major contributor to the downstream ecosystems, the dynamics of glacial biogeochemistry are poorly understood.

Much of the carbon has been thought to have come from ancient peat lands and forests overrun by the glaciers. However, recent research by Stubbins and his colleagues challenges that explanation.

They hypothesize that the main source is atmospheric carbon from the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass.   The proposed work will determine the extent to which fossil fuels contribute to the dissolved organic material (DOM) in the glaciers. They will verify the age and stability of the glacial DOM and quantify the extent to which it is being exported to downstream ecosystems.

Stubbins and Frischer will be working with other scientists, including Robert Spencer, Woods Hole Research Center; Eran Hood, University of Alaska Southeast; Peter A. Raymond, Yale University; Greg Kok, Droplet Measurement Technologies; and Thorsten Dittmar, Max Planck Group for Marine Geochemistry, Oldenburg, Germany.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 23, 2012 - Savannah/Chatham CASA, Inc. held their first board meeting of the year on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, the non-profit agency that recruits, screens, trains, and supervises community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children who are under the jurisdiction of the Chatham County Juvenile Court.

The Board of Directors welcomed their newly elected Executive Committee which includes Chairperson, Karen Wilds (Savannah State University); Vice-Chairperson, Stephanie Mobley (Savannah Power Yoga); Secretary, Trudy Gellatly (The Gretsch Company); Treasurer, Ryan Sewell (Bernard Williams Company).

According to Wilds, she looks forward to a successful 2012 and the continuous support of board. The Executive Committee will serve in their current role until December 31, 2012.

The Board of Directors also filled board vacancies during the meeting including Rev. Ricardo Manuel (Second Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church); Vernon Taylor, Jr. (IPC International); and Antoinette Scaringi (Premier Consulting, LLC). The new members will undergo Board Orientation in February and join the governing body at that time.

Savannah/Chatham CASA is popularly known for its annual fundraiser, Dancing with Savannah Stars. Held last November, the fundraiser raised over $90,000 for the local child advocacy agency.

Winners for the event included: Best Female Dancer – Ginger Fawcett (Liquid Ginger); Best Male Dancer – Jesse Blanco (The Coastal Source); Viewer’s Choice – Don Logana (WTOC-TV); and Top Fundraiser – Katy Moretz (Savannah Neurology).

Post-event totals concluded that Ashlea Hilliard Carson (Carey Hilliard’s Restaurant) was the highest fundraiser with the most funds donated towards CASA. The program will host its 5th annual event this November.

Savannah/Chatham CASA is supported through funding from Georgia Department of Human Services - Promoting Safe & Stable Families, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council –State of Georgia, United Way of the Coastal Empire, National CASA, Georgia CASA and direct public support.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 23, 2012 – This Saturday, January 28, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Eighth Air Force in Savannah.  

Seventy years ago this month, the 8th Air Force was activated in Savannah in what is now the American Legion Post on Bull Street at the south end of Forsyth Park. A historical marker marks the founding.

The Eighth Air Force was a critical strike element in World War II and remains an active force today. The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum provides a powerful museum experience of the patriotism displayed by the men and women of the Eighth Air Force from World War II to present.

Guided tours of the Museum will be offered at 10 am and 1 pm, with the goal of helping history come to life as World War II Eighth Air Force veterans will be meeting and greeting visitors.

And, the museum will be presenting the History Channel’s, “World War II in HD – The Air War” at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the DeCicco Theater which will be included in the Museum’s admission rate. 

Told through the gripping, first person accounts of three American airmen and Stars & Stripes reporter Andy Rooney, The Air War showcases breathtaking aerial combat – original, color footage, never before seen by most Americans – of the B-17s “Flying Fortresses”, P-47 “Thunderbolts” and P-51 “Mustangs” on missions such as Regensburg, Schweinfurt and Berlin. Included is never-before-seen 8mm footage of the airmen on the bases, the devastation in Germany, and the Luftwaffe perspective is also highlighted. Flying 25,000 feet above the earth in oxygen-devoid air, and temperatures as low as 50 below zero, the 8th Air Force fought a war unlike anything ever before experienced. By the end, they would suffer more than 26,000 combat deaths – more than the US Marines lost in all of World War II.

There will also be a free children’s introductory model airplane building classes at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. throughout the special day. Participants will also receive a free child’s admission to the Museum with the purchase of their model airplane. World War II models are on sale for $12 in the Museum’s Gift Store.

Spaces are limited for the building classes, and parents are asked to please contact Heather at             912-748-8888 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The museum is located at 175 Bourne Avenue in Pooler, right off of I-95 at Exit 102, and is open daily from 9 AM until 5 PM except on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 23, 2012 - Wet Willie's national chain of daiquiri bars and full-service restaurants, headquartered in Savannah, recently donated a check for $10,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Coastal Georgia.

Wet Willie’s representatives Joe Ann Brandt and Emily Dickinson presented the check in a special presentation last week at Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Coastal Georgia office at 2250 E. Victory Dr, Savannah.

The donated funds were raised as part of a comprehensive Wet Willie’s fundraising campaign, which kicked off with a successful Breast Cancer Awareness Party on October 1; the company met its original goal to raise $10,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Coastal Georgia.

“We may be a relatively small company, but our employees and our customers have big hearts,” said Bill Dickinson, CEO of Wet Willie’s Management Corp. “We raised this money thanks to the dedication of our employees and the generosity of our customers. We are truly grateful for their contributions.”

The latest Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Coastal Georgia donation is part of more than $96,000 in charitable financial contributions Wet Willie’s made in 2011. Last year, the company donated more than $30,000 to the Savannah Waterfront Association, $25,000 to the Savannah Music Festival, $10,000 to the 200 Club, $8,000 to the Savannah Tech Scholarship Fund, $2,500 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and another $5,500 to various local non-profit organizations.

“At Wet Willie’s, we believe in giving back to the communities where we do business,” said Emily Dickinson, Director of Marketing and Human Resources.  “That has been part of our mission from the very beginning. We are proud to help raise awareness about the importance of joining the fight against breast cancer and are delighted to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Coastal Georgia.”  

Wet Willie's was originally founded in 1989 by a small group of friends in Savannah, and has grown to become a national chain of daiquiri bars and full-service restaurants at 14 locations in the U.S.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Staff Report

Jan 16, 2012 – The 2012 Sporting Clays Tournament will be held in Savannah on Friday, January 27.  This popular annual event includes a sporting clays tournament, shooting clinic, shells, wild game lunch, hors d’oeuvres and beverages, with proceeds benefiting Bethesda Academy.

Originally founded in 1740 as an orphanage, Betheda Academy today is home to one of region;s leading private schools for boys emphasizing a love of God, a love of learning and a strong work ethic. This event is open to the public.

The tournament will be held at the Forest City Gun Club at 9203 Ferguson Avenue. Registration opens at 10:30 a.m. with the wild game lunch at 11:30 a.m.  The Shooting Clinic will be held at 12:15 p.m., and the official tournament begins at 1 p.m.

To register for the 2012 Sporting Clays Tournament, call Elizabeth Brown at             912.351.2061.  The cost is $800 for a team of four. There is also more information at www.bethesdaacademy.org  or by calling 912.351.2061.       

Originally founded in 1740, Bethesda Academy is the oldest child caring institute in America. A successful school for boys, Bethesda is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and features a wide range of academic, athletic, vocational and spiritual development opportunities.

NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

By Lou Phelps, SBJ Staff

Jan 23, 2012 – Chatham County’s Live Oak Library foundation, which helps to raise funds for the library system that serves Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties,  held the most successful fundraising gala in the 0foundation’s history with more than 320 donors attending a $100-a-ticket buffet and auction evening.

The Live Oak Library foundation’s board held the event at the library system’s newest branch, the Southwest branch at the Savannah Mall, with a heart theme for the Valentine’s Day season of “Roses are READ.”

The event’s co-chairs were Christopher H. “Smitty” Smith, attorney with Thomerson, Macchiaverna & Smith, PC and Brad Harmon of Hunter McLean, both members of the foundation’s Board of Directors.  They have also helped found The Wyeth Society, a group of young professionals in support of the public library system. 

Harmon congratulated the library’s staff and board members for their hard work, particularly Ed Fields who worked with Heather Harmon and the team that gathered the auction items.  Jeff Jepson was chair of the Auction.

Chatham County Commissioner Helen Stone and her mother Helen Lynah were in attendance, along with Russ Abolt and his wife Diane.

The principal sponsors of the events were The Bellwether Foundation, Inc. and Hunter Maclean. , along with a number of generous local companies and individuals who made contributions to the auction.

Christian Kruse is the Library’s Director, and Christy Divine is the Foundation’s Manager.   

The amount raised from the silent auction was not available at press deadline.

Tommy Chu of Bull River Beverage provided the cocktail hour, a long-time supporter of the Foundation.