The 5th Annual Mac & Cheese Festival held Sunday, March 5, at Destin Commons raised $63,000 and welcomed roughly 1,600 attendees throughout the day. Proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence through its programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
Award winners were:
Judge’s Choice: Boathouse Oyster Bar
People’s Choice: Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi
Kid’s Choice: Sauce Boss Burger Co.
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s (DCWAF) 2nd Annual Galentine’s Day Fundraiser raised a record-breaking $92,500 for young women in need in Northwest Florida, $30,000 more than last year’s inaugural event. The event brought influential women in the community together to support one another while raising money for programs designed to empower young girls through the foundation’s 16 partner children’s charities. All individuals and businesses affiliated with the production of the event are female owned and operated. The funds raised will benefit the following charity’s initiatives: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Children in Crisis, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Point Washington Medical Clinic, Shelter House of Northwest Florida and Youth Village.
Emerald Coast Autism Center (ECAC) is launching the 11th Annual ONE Campaign to provide scholarships to students with autism. The campaign is an annual effort to raise funds and awareness of autism within Okaloosa and surrounding counties. ECAC will kick off the campaign with the 11th annual ONE Run 5K Saturday, April 1, 8 a.m., at Emerald Coast Autism Center on the campus of Northwest Florida State College, 80 College Blvd. East. An after party with food, music and raffle drawings will follow. The ONE Campaign will continue with a golf tournament at Blackstone Golf Course in Mossy Head Friday, Sept. 29, with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
The Freeport Republicans will meet Tuesday, April 11, at the Hammock Bay Clubhouse, 1850 Great Hammock Bend, Freeport. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting from 6-7 p.m. Jacquelyn Dabney, Walton County REC Chair, will do an overview of the Republican Party and discuss the role of precinct committee members.
The Democratic Women’s Club of Walton County will gather Saturday, April 15, at Eden State Gardens, noon-2 p.m. for an informal outdoor potluck picnic. Please bring a favorite dish, beverages or plates and cutlery. Tables will be available for the food. Please
bring your own chairs also. There is a park fee of $4 per vehicle.For more information, contact Vaughan Greene at (423) 309-0105 or Sue Bowden at (517) 862-1723.
The Walton County Republican Executive Committee (WCREC) will meet April 17 and May 15 at the Hammock Bay Clubhouse, 1850 Great Hammock Bend, Freeport. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.; meeting 6-7 p.m. These meetings are open to registered Republicans in Walton County. Join to find out about becoming a Precinct Committeeman/woman. If you want to know what the various clubs in Walton County are doing, to include speakers and events, this is the place to find out. The REC meets the third Monday of each month at the same location and time.
CARFAX, the leading provider of vehicle history information, recently announced that Buick GMC Cadillac Fort Walton Beach and Volkswagen Fort Walton Beach have earned the title of 2022 CARFAX Top-Rated LIFETIME Dealer. This achievement is based on verified ratings and reviews from customers on CARFAX.com.
LiveOak Fiber held a ribbon cutting in February with the Niceville Valparaiso, Destin and Greater Fort Walton Beach chambers of commerce. LiveOak Fiber is a new Internet Service Provider headquartered in Brunswick, Ga., with offices extending west to Niceville. It offers fast Internet speeds, world-class customer service, accessibility and localization. Its application allows you to control all your devices. No contracts are required, and there is no data cap. Find out more at liveoakfiber.com or call (850) 635-6755.
Step One Automotive Group, in partnership with United Way, will give a family in need the gift of mobility with the 2023 Driving Opportunity program and will announce the winner on March 31 on Facebook Live. Recognizing the importance of mobility in changing lives, Step One created the Driving Opportunity program to provide a reliable vehicle to families in need. The program has received an overwhelming response from families over the years, prompting the organization to partner with United Way agencies and their partner organizations to create a fair selection process.
The Choctawhatchee Audubon Society invites the public to attend its monthly evening program Thursday, April, 6 – CHINA – BIRDS OF THE PANDA FORESTS. Malcolm Swan will show video clips of marvelous birds that he and Lenny Fenimore saw during a 2018 bird tour of the mountainous Sichuan Province and the Tibetan plateau of central China, and Malcolm’s photos will illustrate their travels by bus and shoes in search of Pikas, exotic pheasants and tasty food in extraordinary places. Room 800 on the 2nd floor of the Chandler Center (NW door of 519 Helms Street) at Crosspoint Church, Niceville. Socializing with refreshments begins at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m. Visit Choctawhatcheeaudubon.org for updated information on programs and bird walks.
