Edisto Island Lions Club will host BINGO Night every Tuesday and Thursday, June 4 through August 8. Doors open at 5:30pm and the game starts promptly at 6:00pm.
Everyone loves BINGO season on Edisto Beach! It’s the perfect thing to do with friends and family while visiting Edisto. People start to line up to get in an hour before the doors open, so make sure to get there early! Keep reading below for some important tips and FAQ’s to make your BINGO experience the best it can be…
Important Information:
You must buy all cards when you enter. You will not be allowed to buy more cards after the game begins.
NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES
CASH ONLY
No Yeti cups, water bottles, or any kind of cups from home.
You are not allowed to bring any food or drinks with you.
You must have a token to get into the building. If you have a token, you are guaranteed to get in. You MUST be in line to receive a token. Tokens will be passed out to people waiting in line before the doors open at 5:30pm.
You cannot pick your cards or switch cards once they’re given to you.
Do you have to be a member of the Lions Club to play?
No, everybody is welcome, and all ages are allowed.
What time do I need to get to the Lions Club to get in line?
It’s smart to get there are around an hour before the doors open to ensure you can be in line for a spot inside!
Why can't everyone get in? How many people are allowed inside?
There are approx. 240 chairs/people allowed in the building per the Fire Marshal.
How much does each card cost?
Each card costs $5.
How many cards can you purchase?
You can buy unlimited cards.
If I feel like my card is unlucky, can I switch it for a new one?
No, unless you have a faulty card, the cards you buy at the beginning are the cards you have to stick with throughout the duration of bingo that day.
Are there bathrooms inside of the building?
Yes, there are three bathrooms located inside of the building.
What kind of snacks and drinks are available for purchase?
Water bottles, soda, Gatorade, and candy.
How many rounds do we play?
There are 15 games played.
What kind of prizes can we win?
Games 1-9 are played for a choice of items worth $20. Games 10-14 are played for money. The amount of money for game is based on how many cards are sold that night. Game 15 is played for $150.
What happens if more than one person gets BINGO at the same time?
If there are multiple winners, the prize money will be equally split amongst all the winners for that game.
What time does BINGO end?
BINGO is usually over between 7:15pm and 7:30pm.
Is there parking for golf carts?
Yes, there is a designated area to park golf carts along the front of the building.
The Edisto Chamber of Commerce hosted the second Turtle Tide Art Auction in conjunction with the Edisto Fall Festival last Saturday, October 7. It was a warm Fall day at Edisto; the sun was shining, the band was playing, and more importantly, people were feeling very generous. 10 turtles were auctioned off, raising $97,000 to benefit eight local non-profits, far exceeding last year’s total raise of $60,000.
Since this was only the second year for the Turtle Tide Art Project, no one really knew what to expect, just hopeful to raise just as much if not more money than last year. The fee to become a turtle sponsor was still $1,000 per turtle and with 100% of the proceeds going back to the designated non-profit for each turtle, anything above the sponsor fee was considered a win.
The live auction began a little after 2:30pm. Bidders had to register beforehand and were given auction paddles with bidder numbers. It was a slow start for registration but by the time the auction began 47 people had signed up and were ready to start bidding!
Since this was only the second year for the Turtle Tide Art Project, no one really knew what to expect, just hopeful to raise just as much if not more money than last year. The fee to become a turtle sponsor was still $1,000 per turtle and with 100% of the proceeds going back to the designated non-profit for each turtle, anything above the sponsor fee was considered a win.
The live auction began a little after 2:30pm. Bidders had to register beforehand and were given auction paddles with bidder numbers. It was a slow start for registration but by the time the auction began 47 people had signed up and were ready to start bidding!
Local business owner Peter Beck volunteered as the official auctioneer for the event again this year. Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison, along with help from Darrin Moore, introduced each turtle, along with its sponsor and the artist who painted it. As each turtle came up for auction, representatives from the turtle’s associated non-profit were invited to come speak about their organization. Speakers touched on their mission and explained how they planned to use any proceeds from the auction. Bidding started at $1,000 and was increased in a minimum of $200 increments. Bidding began with the first turtle, “Sunny”, grossing $7,000 to kick off the auction. Turtle #4, “Leo” was the first one to cross over the $10,000 threshold but, he most definitely was not the last. A few friendly and highly entertaining bidding wars broke out over several turtles to keep things interesting.
From left: Auctioneer; Peter Beck, Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison, and Darrin Moore
From left: Walton Salley, Ashley Judy, Mott Parker, Sue Wooten, Matthew Kizer, and Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison with “LilyBelle”
The last turtle that went up for auction was “LilyBelle”, sponsored by the Edisto Belles, and dedicated to one of Edisto’s own – Ding Kizer. Unfortunately, Ding lost her battle with cancer a few months prior. Ding’s sister, Walton Salley, spoke about her sister and how important early detection is when it comes to cancer. It was very clear that this turtle, painted by local artist Caroline Eynon, was very special. Ding’s husband, Matthew Kizer ended up being the highest bidder. “LilyBelle” was the highest grossing turtle, coming in at an impressive $14,400. The Edisto Belles had two turtles benefitting them and grossed over $24,000 from the event to put towards their mission of helping people with breast cancer throughout their journey.
Winning bidders Larry Mullis & daughter and #WhoYouWhitBenefit founder Elisabeth Nelson with “Sunny”Sandra Johnson with winning bidders Karen Bouse and Velma Kenyon with “Kuda”Winning bidders Kenny & Connie Austin with artist Kim Walters and sponsor Lindsay Young (Edisto Watersports & Tackle and ALOE representative), with “Assisi”“Leo” with his new owners Amy Blanchard and Dave TerrisThe Mangum Family pictured with artist Zack Mangum, sponsors and winning bidders Danny & Dawn Mangum, and Good Samaritan Clinic director Valerie Davis“Pearl” with some fellow pirates“Rosie” with with her new parents, winning bidders Bert & Cynthia Dooley Winning bidders Mike & Nancy Galli Floyd with “Edisto Beachcombers” and her artist Ginger Graham Varner and sponsor SLO Boat Construction owners DaRel Christiansen & Tina Coffey
In addition to the generosity of our donors, the day was made successful by all of our volunteers, our project partners, sponsors, artists, and non-profits involved. You can read more about the start of the project here. THANK YOU to everyone involved in making this project a success!
Project Partners:
Project Sponsors:
Turtle Tide Art Project Sponsors and Partners
Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison ready for an exciting day!
Chamber President Leslie Hurley, Emily Johnston & Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison ready to sign people up for the auction!
Chamber Communications Coordinator Michelle Smyer giving Rosie a bath before she went to her forever home.
The lovely ladies of ALOE
Edisto Gumbo
Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison & Midnight from ALOE.
Auctioneer Peter Beck
Turtle Movers Robby Harrison and Michael Stephens with Hype Man Cubby Huffines
Edisto Island Youth Recreation
Walton Sally speaking about LilyBelle being dedicated to her sister Ding Kizer
“LilyBelle” raised $14,400 to benefit the Edisto Belles.
The second highest grossing non-profit for the day was Edisto Island Youth Recreation, who had two turtles auctioned to benefit them as well, grossing over $22,000. “Summer Breeze” sponsored by Sea Spirits Liquor and Edisto Ace Hardware and painted by Elysia Carrison Yelton brought in $11,200. Their second turtle, “Pearl,” sponsored by 1st Federal Savings Bank of SC and painted by Patrick Stare, went for $11,000.
“Summer Breeze” pictured with her new owners, Dallas & Debbie Lovelace
“Summer Breeze” was the second turtle auctioned to benefit Edisto Island Youth Recreation, raising $11,200.
The turtles brought in a total of $97,000 that stays within the Edisto community by supporting 8 local charitable organizations. You can find more information on all of the turtles and how much they raised here:
Turtle
Sponsor
Artist
Beneficiary
Amount Raised
Winning Bidder
Sunny
Pressley’s at the Marina & The Marina at Edisto
Elysia Carrison Yelton
#WhoYouWhitBenefit
$7,000
Larry Mullis
Kuda
Barbara Dillick
Tom McElroy
Lowcountry Food Bank
$7,200
Karen & Brad Bouse and Velma Kenyon
Assisi
Edisto Watersports & Tackle
Kim Walters
Animal Lovers of Edisto (ALOE)
$9,000
Kenny & Connie Austin
Leo
The Waterfront Restaurant & High Tides at Dockside
Dorothy Rogers
Edisto Belles
$10,000
Amy Blanchard & Dave Terris
Peace Out
Sandbar Pizza Joint
Zack Mangum
Good Samaritan Clinic
$8,600
Danny & Dawn Mangum
Summer Breeze
Sea Spirits Liquor & Edisto Ace Hardware
Elysia Carrison Yelton
Edisto Island Youth Recreation
$11,200
Dallas & Debbie Lovelace
Pearl
1st Federal Savings Bank of SC
Patrick Stare
Edisto Island Youth Recreation
$11,000
Jeanine Rhodes
Rosie
Weber Foundation of Helping Hands
Gerry McElroy
Edisto Seniors
$7,400
Bert & Cynthia Dooley
Edisto Beachcombers
Slo Boat Construction
Ginger Graham Varner
EB Loggerhead Turtle Project
$11,200
Mike & Nancy Galli Floyd
LilyBelle
Edisto Belles
Caroline M. Eynon
Edisto Belles
$14,400
Matthew Kizer
Winning bidders Larry Mullis & daughter and #WhoYouWhitBenefit founder Elisabeth Nelson with “Sunny”Sandra Johnson with winning bidders Karen Bouse and Velma Kenyon with “Kuda”Winning bidders Kenny & Connie Austin with artist Kim Walters and sponsor Lindsay Young (Edisto Watersports & Tackle and ALOE representative), with “Assisi”“Leo” with his new owners Amy Blanchard and Dave TerrisThe Mangum Family pictured with artist Zack Mangum, sponsors and winning bidders Danny & Dawn Mangum, and Good Samaritan Clinic director Valerie Davis“Pearl” with some fellow pirates“Rosie” with with her new parents, winning bidders Bert & Cynthia Dooley Winning bidders Mike & Nancy Galli Floyd with “Edisto Beachcombers” and her artist Ginger Graham Varner and sponsor SLO Boat Construction owners DaRel Christiansen & Tina Coffey
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In addition to the generosity of our donors, the day was made successful by all of our volunteers, our project partners, sponsors, artists, and non-profits involved. You can read more about the start of the project here. THANK YOU to everyone involved in making this project a success!
Project Partners:
Project Sponsors:
Turtle Tide Art Project Sponsors and Partners
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Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison ready for an exciting day!
A little over 100 people came together for the Edisto Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Event hosted last month at the Edisto Beach Civic Center. The event is typically held on a warm summer afternoon in June (with a cool breeze and cold drinks!) as the culmination of the fiscal year comes around. It’s a thank you to the membership, a chance to mingle and give out a few important awards, and an opportunity to provide a summary of the work the Chamber has done over the past year.
Business of the Year Award
The first award given out was the 2022 Business of the Year Award.
The Business of the Year award is given by the Edisto Chamber of Commerce each year to recognize a business in the community that goes above and beyond. Our Board selects five nominees within the community and then the Chamber membership votes to determine the winner. Criteria for being nominated as the Business of the Year include the following:
Must be Chamber member
Supports Chamber events
Supports community organizations, programs, and government activities
Encourages employees to volunteer at Chamber and community events
Has a genuine interest in the welfare and future of Edisto
The 2022 Business of the Year Award went to Ella & Ollies and The Briny Swine, owned by Katherine and Brandon Rushing!
Katherine and Brandon opened their flagship restaurant Ella & Ollie’s in 2016 and have been a chamber member since then. If you haven’t been (we recommend putting them at the top of your list of Edisto restaurants to try!) Ella & Ollie’s is a southern seafood-inspired restaurant focused on delivering fresh local ingredients. Their second restaurant on Edisto Beach, E&O Taco, opened in 2018. Their third restaurant, and newest concept, is The Briny Swine which opened in 2020. Katherine and Brandon work hard to showcase local purveyors and it’s extremely important to them that they support other local businesses as best they can. They use local shrimp from Edisto Seafood, as well as fruits and vegetables from local farmers on the Island. They can proudly say that several of the dishes at their restaurants come from within ten miles.
Ella & Ollie’s / The Briny Swine Owners Katherine and Brandon Rushing
In 2020, they started Sleigh Bells, a philanthropic organization formed in the midst of COVID to give back to the community. Sleigh Bells works alongside Jane Edwards and helps the families during the holidays with food and making sure that everyone in the family wakes up Christmas morning with gifts under the tree. They’re expanding this year and plan to have a day where the kids can come by and “shop” with gifts and wrapping stations set up so that they can pick out presents to give their families as well.
In addition, Ella & Ollie’s donates to/supports multiple organizations throughout the year such as:
Chicken Man Tournament
Animal Lovers of Edisto (ALOE)
LiveLikeLondon
Edisto Island Open Land Trust
4th of July Golf Cart Parade
Movies in the Park popcorn sponsor
2022 Turtle Tide Art Project Sponsor
Business After Hours sponsor
Movies in the Park sponsor
Thank you, Katherine and Brandon, for all you do in support of the community and the Chamber!
Martha Whetstone Service Award
The second award given out that evening was the 2022 Martha Whetstone Service Award.
This award was created in honor of Martha Whetstone and has been awarded annually by the Chamber since 2005. Martha was active at Trinity Church, mentored at Jane Edwards Elementary School, was an active member of the Edisto Art Guild and the Edisto Chamber of Commerce, and she was very involved with the community. This award is given to honor a business, group, or individual that has provided exceptional service for either the community or the Chamber. TheChamber Board of Directors nominates and selects the recipient.
ALOEhas been active in the community since 2010. It’s an organization dedicated to supporting Edisto Island and surrounding communities.
ALOE at the 23rd Annual Christmas Parade
Founded in 2010 by Margaret Towe and Ken Korpanty, ALOE is a 501C3 non-profit that serves the community through the rescue, care, and homing of adoptable stray, abandoned, or found dogs. As a no-kill canine rescue, on average they rescue approximately 50 stray dogs and reunite 20 lost dogs with their families each year. In 2021, ALOE took in 56 dogs and was able to find loving homes for ALL 50 before the years’ end (the other six have since been adopted!). Animal Lovers also “pulls” dogs from Colleton County Animal Shelter (CCAS), to help them reduce their euthanasia rate.
ALOE also supports residents in the community who need to surrender or re-home their pets and provides veterinary assistance and pet food to people in Edisto with economic needs. Most stray dogs are suffering from a variety of medical conditions when they first arrive at Animal Lovers and require a great deal of vetting before they can be adopted. Rescues are also kept up-to-date on vaccines, preventative, and medical care. To further support their efforts, ALOE utilizes foster homes and has developed a relationship with Southside Animal Hospital, which offers reduced rates for many medications, tests, and procedures. Despite these discounts, Animal Lovers vet bill alone averages $25,000 per year, and operation costs last year totaled $36,000.00.
Over the course of Animal Lovers’ existence, they have vetted, spayed and neutered, and found loving homes for nearly 600 dogs, including several disabled dogs and dogs recovering from abuse and neglect. Animal Lovers relies on donations to operate, but they strive to ensure that all funds received are put to work right here in the community they serve. This organization has a huge heart for all the fur babies out there and was well deserving of this recognition! Visit their website to learn more and help support them.
Honoring the Chamber President
This year, a special recognition award was given out to honor the Board’s (now retired) President Peter Beck! This award was presented as recognition for six years of outstanding service on the Edisto Chamber Board of Directors. During his time on the Chamber Board, Peter displayed exemplary leadership, service, and dedication to the community. Peter has been a member of the Chamber since 2016 and President of the Board since 2018. His business, Green Boat Discount Liquor, is known for its generosity and support of the community. He’ll be passing the torch to our newest President, Leslie Hurley, of Carolina One Edisto Real Estate and Vacation Rentals.
Board President and Local Business Owner Peter Beck
At the Chamber, the year begins and ends in July, so a large part of the Annual Event involves summarizing the previous year’s performance!
Snapshot Summary
MARKETING & ADVERTISING
-Chamber focus = off-season advertising, most efforts focused on the 4-6 hr drive time from Edisto
-Advertising outlets = a variety of different media outlets across 4 mediums – Audio (Spotify), Print, Digital, Social Media
-Website Traffic = up 109% over last year
-Social Media: Instagram followers up 8.5% & Facebook followers up 13%
EVENTS
With support from local businesses, the Chamber hosted four (4) Business After Hours, five (5) Movies in the Park , the annual 5K Road Race, and the Edisto Fall Festival. The normal Christmas Parade got an upgrade into a Christmas Weekend in conjunction with the Town of Edisto Beach. Shop Local Week happened again around the holidays and the first year of the Turtle Tide Art Project got underway with success! Two additional events will be associated with the art project: a Turtle Tide Art Reveal event (in conjunction with Turtlesfest) and a Turtle Tide Art Auction, which will happen this coming October.
The Edisto Chamber’s Annual Event was the perfect time to catch-up with friends and fellow business members on a beautiful afternoon over food and drinks. Awards and talks from Chamber Director Chelsea Harrison on future goals for the organization were just an added bonus! Thank you to everyone who came out in support!
