Join us for a fun-filled look into Mount Pleasant's Blessing of the Fleet as Tracy Richter, Events Coordinator for the Town of Mount Pleasant and Tressy Mellichamp, Fundraising Chair for Fishermen's Memorial Statue talk to host Brian Cleary about this annual event and it's history.

Every April the Blessing of the Fleet kicks off the shrimping season with a boat parade, ceremonial blessing of the fleet by local ministers, delicious food, arts & crafts, and live music. Learn more about the event's history, its importance to the community, and hear from a local family involved in the shrimping industry.

Find out everything you need to know to be part of this special Mount Pleasant tradition at experiencemountpleasant.com/play.

In honor of the Month of the Military Child, we have Karli Sabecky, Implementation Coordinator, and Sarah Schackelton, Community Coordinator along with host Brian Cleary discussing what the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) does to support the education of military-connected students.

We understand that military families often have to relocate frequently, and this can have a significant impact on their children's education. That's why MCEC has developed a comprehensive support system to help military-connected students adjust to their new schools and communities. From academic support to social and emotional well-being, we have resources in place to ensure that these students have a smooth transition and continue to thrive in their education.

MCEC also works not only with the schools but also with local businesses that want to support the program. Karli and Sarah dive more deeply into the way MCEC works to help make the transition of new students of military families get connected and integrated into their new school.

Karli and Sarah also share some personal tips for making school transitions smoother for military families.

Shannon Rice is the Coastal Regions Development Officer at Make-A-Wish South Carolina and she joins Hart Peary a Make-A-Wish Mom along with host Erin Kienzle they talk about what Make-A-Wish South Carolina does, and their fundraising and their life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Make sure to listen in through to the end to find out how Hart and her family chose to move to Charleston from Massachusetts.

Mom Hart Peary opens up talking about Charlie, her former Make-a-Wish child. As a 9-year-old his wish was "Charlie-Palooza", a Celebration of Friendship. For one day Make-a-Wish threw the biggest party they've ever thrown. His friends, classmates, and family from around the country flew in, his doctors, nurse, and his entire school, and they joined him for a day to leave the hospital and have fun with face painting, arcades, candy rooms, fire trucks, police escorts and as Hart put it, it was just "ridiculously fun".

Hart accepted a Wish Society Nomination into Women Inspiring Strength & Hope (WISH), which is a group of 11 ladies in South Carolina to inspire, strengthen, and give hope to this community. These women give back to this wonderful organization and they commit to raising at least $7,500 each. Explaining her participation in Women Inspiring Strength & Hope to raise funds to pay for children's wishes, she said every dollar counts because some wishes, like Charlie's, cost much more than South Carolina's average of $7,500 to make those wishes happen.

Shannon says with this current group of women including Hart she's watched them form relationships and become friends while they're busy with church, family, and business and as they support one another toward raising the funds to grant as many wishes as possible.

You can also help by becoming a Make-a-Wish volunteer. Shannon explained the different ways to help the organization and referred people to wish.org/sc and go to Events to find out where and when to donate, or you can go to Ways to Help Us to find out how to help make more wishes come true.

Wade Altum, the Founder, is 10 years old and decided to help the homeless and started Hoops Against Homelessness with partner One80 Place. He started the shooting/giving events in 2020 during COVID and began with a small event that grew over time. At first, they asked people to post on Instagram to shoot 10 hoops or donate, and that raised awareness bringing in about $1,500 that first year to fight homelessness.

Carter Delman, Assistant joined after he made donations and wanted to do more so he ended up joining Wade and Hoops Against Homelessness. Also, listen in and find out which basketball teams Wade and Carter like and why.

Continuing, Carter says 2024's Hoops Against Homelessness is from March 16th to March 24th. Wade adds that people can get involved by going to events, sharing on Instagram at @hoopsagainsthomelessness, or texting friends to tell them about Hoops Against Homelessness, and you can find them online at www.One80Place.org/hoops where you can find details about how to help, what great partners have joined this year, how you can host an event to raise funds, promote your progress all to raise awareness and donations to fight homelessness.

#hoopsagainsthomelessnesschs
#hoopsagainsthomelessness
#one80place

If you or a loved one is looking for alternative treatments for PTSD & TBI, join host Brian Cleary as he talks with Hoofprints in the Sand's (HITS) founder, CEO, and Clinical Director Sarah Lustig. HITS uses equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to help veterans and others struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) at their farm on Wando Road mere minutes north of Mount Pleasant, SC.

In this video:

• Discover EAP: Learn how Sarah Lustig's 20+ years of experience and certifications are helping patients find hope, resilience, and purpose through EAP.
• See real results: Hear about the improvements measured in patients at HITS using this unique therapy approach.
• Understand the program: Sarah Lustig dives deep into how EAP works and the program offered at HITS.

Struggling with PTSD or TBI? This video might offer a new path to healing. Share it with someone who needs to see this!

#equinetherapy #ptsd #tbi #veterans #horsetherapy #hoofprintsinthesand #hope #resilience

John Wright, the president of the African American Settlement Historic Commission talks with host Brian Cleary about AASHC's role in the preservation of the 1904 Long Point School in Mount Pleasant, as well as what the AAS Historic Commission does, and why they do it. John and Brian also talk about how the African American Settlement HC partners with Boone Hall Plantation during this year's Black History Month.

Also, learn about ways you can help the African American Settlement Historic Commission, how you can donate to the Long Point Schoolhouse Final Phase Restoration on GoFundMe, how you can donate to AAS Historic Commission at https://www.aaschc.com/donate and also visit their website https://www.aaschc.com/ to find out how you can volunteer.

Denise Kish, the Executive Director at Mount Pleasant Gardens Memory Care Community says they are a standalone memory care community for people with dementia, which is an umbrella term for several disorders that affect memory and other cognitive functions. The community is there for people with a diagnosis of one of the different types of dementia.

As Leanne Lovin, the Community Resource Director at Mount Pleasant Gardens says, many calls she gets are before a family member has to move into their community. She helps by advising applicable resources that can help their particular situation.

Watch or listen as this episode tours the Mount Pleasant Gardens Memory Care Community and how the community is organized.

When is it appropriate or necessary to move a loved one with a diagnosis of dementia into a facility? Listen in for the answer to this and other questions about memory care!

Mount Pleasant Magazine's publisher, Bill Macchio, talks with host Brian Cleary about the Mount Pleasant Home Showcase coming to the Omar Shrine Convention Center in March of 2024. Home-related businesses like heating and air, whole home generators and home remodeling will be at the show and all of those home-related businesses will be offering discounts. Rob Fowler will be talking about hurricane preparedness and so much more. Listen in and get all of the details about this March 2024 show at Patriots Point!