Underage drinking can lead to behaviors that are dangerous to teens, but less well-known are the physical damages that also can result.

One in three South Carolina teens has had a drink within the past month, Dr. Loretta Novince told Bluffton Rotarians.  And one in five has engaged in “binge drinking” by having more than five drinks in a row.

Novince works with the Lowcountry Alliance for Healthy Youth, a community prevention coalition encompassing Bluffton and Hilton Head.  The organization was created in 2012 in response to alcohol-related tragedies involving local teens.  The initial meeting was organized by former Beaufort County School Board member Julie Bell, Hilton Head High Principal Amanda O’Nan and Hilton Head High parent Roberta Foss.  The goal was to organize a coalition representing the entire community: schools, parents, law enforcement, government, faith-based and civic groups, youth groups, social service agencies, media, health care professionals, senior citizens and businesses.

According to a national research study, the 2011 cost to South Carolina, in terms of youth violence, car accidents, crime, injury, poisoning, teenage pregnancy, fetal alcohol syndrome and teen alcoholism treatment, topped $1 billion.

Brian Julius, a native South African entrepreneur who now calls Hilton Head Island home, is on a mission to bring health education to low-literacy communities around the world.

“Speaking Books,” which feature colorful illustrations accompanied by simple spoken text in 27 different languages, are designed to get critical health information into communities where few people can read and where mass media and technology aren’t readily available.

“We can create all of these wonderful medicines, but that’s only half the job,” Julius told Bluffton Rotarians.  “For example, all sorts of health complications result when people can’t read label instructions.”

People with low health literacy are 12 to 18 times more likely not to understand, ignore or confuse medical treatment and preventative measures, Julius said, and so they’re at much higher risk.  Life expectancy is lowest among illiterate people, he added.

Each Speaking Book consists of 16 pages of colorful illustrations supported by straightforward and easy to understand text frequently read by a well-known local celebrity. For each page there is a corresponding push button that triggers a soundtrack of the text, so no matter the level of reading comprehension, the information can be understood.

The battery-powered Speaking Books are self-contained and user driven, Julius said, so the messages can be listened to in any order and as often as necessary.  They provide cost-effective means to present complex health care issues by adapting to cultures and needs of individual communities.

Happy May Day! May Day is celebrated on May 1 and traditionally included a dance around the May Pole. I tried to garner some enthusiasm for a May Day Dance at Rotary this morning…but was unable to get much support! Ah well, I guess the breakfast was more enticing!

One of the really nice parts of being President this year has been to get to know all of the club members a little better and to meet more Rotarians outside our Club. Working with different Rotarians from other clubs this year had allowed me to see that while we are all Rotarians, we do things differently. Some clubs are larger than ours, some more formal, some older…we are all different. The common thread though, when identified as part of the Bluffton Rotary Club, the response is always: “Oh, you’re part of the fun club”.

District Governor Ed Duryea attended and spoke during our 25^th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, April 28^th. He acknowledged our many accomplishments, past, present and on-going, and spoke very highly about our club. In the end though, Ed said we are hard-working and do a tremendous amount for our community and abroad, all while having fun. Not such a bad brand to have for our Bluffton Rotary Club, I think…to be respected for all the good we do and have fun at the same time. I hope you are all having fun this year. I am.

Many thanks again to Barry Connor, Mary O’Neill, Cindy Owens and Deb Karambelas for organizing such a nice, befitting event for our 25^th Anniversary Celebration and to Mary Connor for lovely flowers.  It was a wonderful and special evening.

Many thanks to Laphanie Banks, Mary O’Neill, Sandy Graves and Rodney Vaughn for organizing and creating our first ever Bluffton Rotary Business Connection & Networking Event on Wednesday of last week. Once again, it was a fun, festive and productive event! Everyone had a chance for networking and discovering what different members of the club do, in addition to some wonderful refreshments! This will surely be an annual or semi-annual event going forward!

The 35^th Annual Bluffton Village Festival is right around the corner, Saturday May 11, from 10:00am – 4:00pm. This has grown to be a major fund-raiser for us. Once again a fun event and raising enough money to do some real good in our community! We hope everyone will come on out and enjoy the day and help with the Bluffton Village Festival too!

So, in closing: we have accomplished so much in 25 years. The demographics of the Bluffton Rotary Club and our community have changed. Through it all, we continue to put “Service Above Self”. Bring on the next 25 years!

Thanks for your continued support of our club!

Yours in Rotary,

Dot

The Bluffton Village Festival is celebrating 35 years. In honor of this anniversary, the Rotary Club of Bluffton festival committee is planning its first pie-eating contest and looking for contestants. Contestants will race to see who can devour a tasty homemade strawberry pie the fastest. The mouth-watering pies will be prepared by local bakery, The Sugaree. This is a free event, to begin at 11:30 a.m. on the main stage area. All registered, participating contestants will receive the new 2013 Bluffton Village Festival T-shirt.

There will be three pie-eating heats, held in groups of five each. The winner of each heat will perform again in the championship “pie-off.” The goal of each heat is to eat the pie the fastest, which means the first contestant to finish his/her entire pie down to the tin and stand up will be declared the winner. The judges will decide if the pie is actually finished before ending the contest.

Prizes, including gift certificates to The Sugaree, will be awarded for first, second and third place.

For more information, call 843-815-2277. Visit blufftonvillagefestival.com and click on the “forms” tab to find the rules and registration form. Final deadline for registration is May 1, 2013.

Bluffton Village Festival has a Facebook page...we ask all members active on Facebook to LIKE our Bluffton Village Festival page and invite your friends to LIKE us too!

Bluffton knows how to throw a party. And the 35th annual Bluffton Village Festival won’t disappoint.

The festival, coordinated by The Rotary Club of Bluffton, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mother’s Day weekend Saturday, May 11 in Old Town Bluffton. The street fair is truly “a celebration of Bluffton life,” filled with all things quirky, eclectic and family friendly.

This is a day for locals and visitors to enjoy art, music, food, kids’ activities and celebrate all the beauty and charm Bluffton has to offer!  Admission is FREE. 

The Bluffton Village Festival, commonly known as Mayfest, was created to give Bluffton residents and visitors a chance to have some hometown fun and be exposed to the amazing craftsmen, artists and musicians in our region. 

“To me, the festival captures the essence of what makes Bluffton so special,” says Patrick Wright, the Rotary Club of Bluffton’s president-elect and this year’s BVF chairman.

The Rotary Club of Bluffton assumed responsibility of this hometown favorite five years ago. The club’s goal is to maintain the unique spirit of the festival, while continuing to offer more ways for locals and visitors to get involved. The club, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, provides the necessary manpower to run and manage the Old Town Bluffton street party.

The event is managed by dedicated business people and community leaders who live out the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”  As Wright says, this is the club’s gift to the community it serves so lovingly.

On the big day, Calhoun Street is full of electric energy and Southern hospitality. Close to 200 vendors from across the South will be selling jewelry, flowers, antiques, print and original artwork, quilts, glass art, pottery and more. The 10,000 or more guests in attendance will have their choice of savory Lowcountry favorites such as the festival’s famous shrimp salad sandwiches from The Church of the Cross along with barbecue, funnel cakes, seafood, smoothies and lemonade. This event is the “epitome of quintessential Bluffton culture.”

As Wright says, “If someone had one day to spend in Bluffton, I would recommend they come to the Bluffton Village Festival. It’s the single best time to experience what Bluffton is all about.”

New this year, in honor of the Festival’s 35th anniversary, will be the Pie Eating Contest. Contestants will race to see who can devour a tasty strawberry pie the fastest. The mouth-watering pies will be prepared by local bakery, The Sugaree.

Scott Keith, program director and on-air personality for 103.1 The Drive and AM 1130 and FM 93.5 The Island, will act as emcee for the event. What’s more all-American than watching friends, neighbors and total strangers stuff their faces and make a huge mess?

“It certainly should be a Pie-a-Palooza, so better keep some antacids on hand for that post-pie recovery,” Keith says.

Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.

And be sure not to miss the 25th annual Ugly Dog contest at 1 p.m. on the Main Stage.  This zany and unpredictable event is sponsored by Richard Coeffield of May River Realty. All ugly dogs are welcome to enter! And the “top” three dogs receive a coveted trophy by local potter, Jacob Preston.

“We appreciate all the support and people who enjoy the silliness with us,” Coeffield says.