There’s always something happening in the Hostess City. Stay in the know about upcoming events and the latest information with our News & Notes.

Savannah Music Festival’s 2023 season featured record box office results, expanded attendance and critical acclaim

The 2023 Savannah Music Festival (SMF), which took place from March 23 through April 8, enjoyed record box office sales, with 24,813 patrons attending the festival from across the U.S. and 14 countries around the world. The Savannah Music Festival presented 61 concerts featuring 96 live performances by top regional, national and international artists over a 17-day period.

According to a 2023 Savannah Music Festival Audience Survey of 1,635 attendees conducted by John Salazar, Ph.D. and Ryan Beetham at the University of Georgia’s School of Hospitality and Food Industry Management, 42 percent of the audience came from out of town to celebrate a confluence of American and global musicians, emerging and master jazz artists and classical artists, with “discovery” and “collaboration” as primary motivators.

“Last year, some audience members still had pandemic-related concerns, but the overall spirit of the festival was noticeably more upbeat in 2023,” says Savannah Music Festival Executive Director Gene Dobbs Bradford. “This year, many of our performances sold out and the majority of our shows were packed. Audience members were eager to enjoy live music at historic venues throughout downtown Savannah and to see featured artists from across the country and around the world.”

View the complete Savannah Music Festival Audience Survey report at Savannah Music Festival 2023 Report – UGA Hospitality.pdf.

Coastal Care Partners is offering pediatric CPR classes

Coastal Care Partners, Savannah’s only comprehensive, registered nurse-managed aging services company, is now offering pediatric CPR classes.The pediatric CPR classes are 30-minute classes offered once a week at 11:45AM on Thursdays at Coastal Care Partners’ office, located at 4B Skidaway Village Walk. These classes offer one-on-one instruction with Shelley Fields, who serves as medical assistant for Coastal Care Partners’ pediatric clinic and has 24 years of experience as a paramedic.

According to Coastal Care Partners Pediatrician Dr. Kelsey Alexander, “It’s smart for all parents to know in emergency situations. That’s why we consider this such an incredibly important service to offer to our community. These 30-minute classes are a great opportunity for

parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and babysitters to learn practical tips and ask questions in a comforting environment.”

Pre-registration is required, and interested participants are able to sign up by calling the Coastal Care Partners office at 912-598-6312 or by visiting coastalcarepartners.com/service/concierge-pediatrics/.

Savannah’s Precision Wellness presents Men’s Health Week event: “Wellness Warrior: Dominate Your Health” June 16 and 17

Precision Wellness, a lifestyle medicine center located in Savannah’s Habersham Village, will host a community wellness event in honor of Men’s Health Week on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17. “Wellness Warrior: Dominate Your Health” is being presented in collaboration with the Men’s Health Network’s initiative, “Wear Blue for Men’s Health,” and aims to promote men’s health and encourage them to prioritize their well-being.

“Precision Wellness is thrilled to provide these opportunities for men to focus on their health,” said Kellie Huff, president and co-founder. “We encourage everyone to come out to enjoy offerings from health screenings to discounts on various services, educational sessions, food, beverages and exciting prizes; all tailored specifically to men’s health needs.”

Events and activities will include free health screenings, DNA genetic testing, men’s health panel, weight loss and hair regrowth protocols, door prizes and grand prize, education and consultations. 

For more information about the event and services offered, visit Precision Wellness online at https://www.precisionbytackl.com/ or call 912-777-6002.

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society announces 14th annual Camp Buddy in Effingham County, June 26-30

The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) will be hosting its 14th annual Camp Buddy summer camp for Effingham County on June 26-30 at the Blandford Elementary School and local places in Rincon for community-based learning opportunities. 

Camp Buddy is for children of all ages with Down syndrome and is designed to help students retain previous accomplishments and prepare for the upcoming school year with a specially designed curriculum by special education teachers and therapists. 

“Our 14th annual Camp Buddy is here! It provides a great opportunity for awesome, differently-abled individuals who have Down syndrome or a similar chromosomal abnormality to receive needed physical, occupational and speech therapies as well as enhance and retain gains made throughout the school year by working individually with each camper to retain what was learned and address specific academic challenges to ready them for the upcoming school year” said Camp Buddy director, Molly Marchese. 

To register for the Effingham County Camp Buddy, contact Molly Marchese at mollymarchese6107@gmail.com or 912-213-9127. 

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) will also be hosting Camp Buddy summer camp for Chatham County on July 10-14 at St. Andrews School, located at 601 Penn Waller Rd, on Wilmington Island. Contact Pam Hussey, pbjhussey@gmail.com to register.

National nonprofit Petco Love invests in One Love Animal Rescue to save and improve the lives of pets in Chatham County

One Love Animal Rescue received a $3,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their life saving work for animals in Chatham County, GA. 

Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. And Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations — like ours — across North America, with 6.7 million pets adopted and counting.

“Our investment in One Love Animal Rescue is part of more than $15M in investments recently

announced by Petco Love to empower local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love.

“Many times, the animals that come into our rescue need extra medical attention from heartworm treatment to extensive surgeries. These pets deserve the very best care and with Petco Love’s investment, we can continue to provide that. We are so honored to be partners with Petco Love and are grateful to everyone who donates when they shop at Petco. Together we can do what is right for the pets in our community,” said Karrie Bulski, CEO and Co-Founder of One Love Animal Rescue.

For more information about One Love Animal Rescue, visit oneloveanimalrescue.com.

Savannah Classical Academy Foundation announces new board appointments

SCA Foundation – a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to raising and stewarding funds to provide resources for support and enhancement of educational and extracurricular programs for the students of The Savannah Classical Academy Charter School (SCA), Savannah’s only K—12 public charter school, has announced new appointments to the board of directors.

Appointed as president/treasurer is Mark V. Smith.  Smith is CEO of his family’s water utility business which operates water and wastewater systems throughout Southeast Georgia and is chairman of the Savannah Convention Center Authority.

Falen O. Cox has been appointed as secretary of the board. Cox is a partner at Cox, Rodman and Middleton, LLC, a litigation law firm practicing criminal defense, personal injury and general litigation.

Current board member, Joseph L. Herring, retired chairman and CEO of Covance Inc., has been appointed for an additional term.

David Paddison, president at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, was appointed in 2022, and continues serving his first term.

Immediate past board president, Ted Kleisner, and SCA Foundation executive drector, Terri O’Neil, will both serve as Ex-Officio members.

The SCA Foundation is a separate nonprofit entity apart from the school, created solely to support Savannah Classical Academy Charter School. To learn more about the foundation or to support their work please contact them at savannahclassicalacademy.org/sca-foundation/.

Stacy Jennings to Lead YMCA of Coastal Georgia Community Impact Campaign

Stacy Jennings, a prominent marketing figure in the Savannah market and a long-time supporter of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, will serve as the campaign chair for the Y’s 2023 Community Impact Campaign, a drive that aims to raise $662,000 to fund a wide swath of YMCA programs.

“As a long-time member of the YMCA, I know first-hand how it serves everyone in the community and is particularly impactful for children,” Jennings said.

Jennings’ role as the campaign chair is to drive volunteer efforts to generate contributions that fund vital YMCA programs and to serve as the face of the 2023 campaign, which runs through the end of December 2023.

Supporters can donate to the campaign at www.ymcaofcoastalga.com/donate or by calling Suzanne Duggan, annual fund director, at her office at the Habersham Street YMCA at 912-358-2651.

The funds will go toward children’s Coastal Safety Around Water courses; swim sessions; the Y-Readers Program, which helps students catch up to grade level in their reading skills; A Place to Dream, which provides beds for needy children; summer day camps; after-school programs; youth sports; teen leadership and workforce development; membership scholarships; the Live Strong Program and rehabilitation programs.

TC Federal Bank announces leadership promotion

With the recent opening of their full-service retail branch in Savannah, TC Federal Bank has announced the promotion of Trapper Griffith to senior vice president, Savannah market president. Griffith has been leading the TC Federal Commercial Lending team as senior vice president since the bank expanded into the Savannah market in 2017. He previously served as vice president, commercial relationship manager at a southeastern community bank.

“Trapper built the Savannah market from scratch, developing a brand built on trust and certainty,” says Nat Higdon, executive vice president and senior lender, at TC Federal Bank. “We are excited about the future in Savannah as we continue to grow our customer base while remaining steadfast to our core values.”

In his role as market president, Griffith will lead the full-service retail branch, now open at 7150 Hodgson Memorial Drive, Unit A. Along with a team of seasoned associates, he will be working to grow deposits, create new business banking relationships, and deepen TC Federal Bank’s ties to the Savannah community.

“As a Savannah native, I take a great deal of pride in being able to guide the growth of TC Federal Bank in my hometown,” says Griffith. “I’ve always believed there was a community banking void in this market and feel that TC Federal Bank is the right company to fill it. Our new full-service retail branch is an important next step in that mission. Our Savannah team is excited to expand our financial services here and I can’t wait to build new relationships across the community I call home.”

This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2023.