Come out for the Great Backyard Bird Count on the Satilla Riverwalk in Woodbine on Friday, February 18 at 9 AM. The Woodbine Woman’s Club is promoting our Bird Santuary as the place to count and report birds February 18-21, 2011 during the national count. For more information call Janet Heath at 912-576-1162, JanetHeath@tds.net, or www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

Friday, February 18, 9am – 10am
Satilla Riverwalk in Woodbine

Celebrate the holidays in style in Camden County.

White Lighting in St. Marys
Come to downtown historic St. Marys on November 30, 2010, for the annual lighting of the Christmas Tree.  Read more about the event here – White Lighting in St Marys

Kingsland Christmas Tree Lighting & Open House
Get into the holiday spirit in Kingsland during this popular annual event on December 2, 2010.   Read more about it here – Kingsland Christmas Tree Lighting & Open House

Jingle Bell Jog – St Marys
There will be a Jingle Bell Jog, 5K Walk/Run on December 4, 2010. The day will start at 8 AM with a Pancake Breakfast in the Charles Gilman Waterfront Park for $5.00. Registration for the Walk/Run will be from 8:30 to 9:15 AM with the race starting at 9:30 AM. Registration will take place at the Waterfront Park / Boat Ramp area.  5K Runners will compete for age group awards Overall Male, Overall Female and Top 3 male and female in age categories. Walkers will be competing for a grand prize for the best costume in keeping with our theme. Applications available  www.smkiwanis.com. For more information contact Jeremy Jacobs at Jeremy.Jacobs@amerisbank.com or 912-882-3400, or James Sattler at csattler@tds.net or 912-441-0632.

Christmas Tour of Homes & Open House – Woodbine
On December 4, 2010, come to  Woodbine for the Christmas Tour of Homes followed by Christmas Parade, and Santa himself will show up too.  Read more about Christmas Tour of Homes & Open House here.

Christmas in the Park – St Marys
Lots of fun for both young and old at the Waterfront Park on December 4, 2010,  with games and holiday characters (like The Grinch).
Christmas in the Park – St Marys, GA

Woodbine Community Christmas Celebration – Woodbine
Historic and charming Woodbine is the setting for the Woodbine Community Christmas Celebration hosted by the Woodbine Steering Committee at the Woodbine United Methodist Church located at the corner of Bedell Avenue (U.S. 17) and East 4th Street. This  celebration  features a community choir, hand bells and a Christmas story. For more information call 912-576-3211.

Candlelight Tour of Homes – St Marys
Come visit St. Marys during the holiday and see some of the beautiful historic homes, Bed and Breakfast Inns and other venues during the Christmas Tour of Homes on December 11, 2010. Read more here – Candlelight Tour of Homes

Live Nativity – St Marys
Come visit Orange Hall for this popular annual event on December 16, 2010. Read more and watch our video here about The Live Nativity – St Marys

The 25th Annual Crawfish Festival is a family oriented event and offers something for all ages. This year’s festival takes place on April 23rd from 5:00pm to 9:00pm and April 24th from 8:00am to 6:30pm.

Entertainment is offered on Friday night from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at the Satilla Waterfront Park Stage. Saturday’s entertainment begins at 9:00 am and continues throughout the day at the waterfront stage as well as the gazebo stage located in the Arts & Crafts Area.

A children’s amusement area provides activities and games on Friday night and all day Saturday.

The Crawfish Parade is one of the highlights of the festival and is enjoyed by everyone. It begins at 10:00am at the corner of U.S. 17 and E. 10th Street and features entries such as bands, clowns, floats and horses.

Food concessions offering such mouth watering treats as Crawfish Boil, Crawfish Woodbine (Etoufee), Fried Chicken Dinners, Red Beans and Rice, Homemade Desserts, Barbecue, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream and much more are available Friday night and all day Saturday. The Woodbine United Methodist Church will sponsor a breakfast on Saturday morning beginning at 6:30 a.m. The church is located at the corner of E. 4th Street and U.S. 17.

For more information call David Rayson at 912-576-3485(h) or 912-552-5560(c). You can also email him at circler@tds.net

America’s 2nd Harvest will be providing us with another mobile food pantry on April 15th. Forms will be available at the REC center beginning March 22nd and will be due back by April 7th. You must meet income requirements set forth by The Emergency Food Assistance Program to receive food. You will be given a time to pick up your food when you turn in your form. If you have any questions, please give us a call.

Mark your calendar for the Third Annual Great Camden County Chili Cook-Off and Craft Show to be held Saturday December 5th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm at Waters Edge (Off Haddock Road past Lowes) to benefit the Humane Society of Camden County and Habitat for Humanity of Camden County. This year will be bigger and better with more categories and more chances to win and a Craft Show and sale benefitting Habitat for Humanity has been added. Free Admission for Family Fun/Chili Tasting with $5.00 donation to the Humane Society.

Come and enjoy fun for the whole family. Besides the Chili contest and Craft Sale events include, Santa and His Elves, Live Music, Pet Costume Parade, Bouncy Houses and Giant Slides. Santa will arrive by Parachute at 12:30 pm followed by Chili Judging at 1:30 pm, Pet Costume Parade at 2:00 pm, and Awards Ceremony beginnings at 2:30 pm.

Information and sign up for the Chili Cook Off and Craft Show is available on the web at www.teamchili.org or phone 912-729-4393.

Oct.10 – Build A Scarecrow
10-12 PM at Orange Hall 912-882-8111

Oct. 13 – Scarecrow Stroll
-5-7 PM downtown St. Marys, 912-882-8111

Oct. 16 – An evening with Edgar Allen Poe

A Book discussion and riding tour at 7 PM at Orange Hall, 912-882-4800

Oct. 24 – Wine Cheese & Music Social
7-9 PM at Orange Hall, 912-882-4000

Oct. 25 – Dinner and a Movie
Captain Seagle’s Seafood Restaurant, 912-882-4800

Oct. 27 – Yappy Hour
6-8 PM at Seagle’s Saloon Patio, 912-729-7141

Oct. 30 – Magical Haunted History Tour
Spend a magical night touring St. Marys, 6 PM, downtown St. Marys, 912-882-4000

Oct. 31 - GA/FL Game Day-Wear your favorite team colors

Tai Chi in the Park
10 AM, Howard Gilman waterfront park, 912-510-0553

St. Marys Community Market
Downtown St. Marys Pavilion, 9-1 PM, 912-882-8111

The Taste of Camden is scheduled for October 15, 2009 and will be held from 3 pm – 7 pm. Do you drive to out of town or shop online? Join locals at the Taste of Camden and meet the fascinating business located here in our own backyard…restaurants, home improvement, financial, civic organizations and entertainment. Door prizes given every 15 minutes!

The price at the door is $8

For more details call the Chamber at 912-729-5840 or Email info@camdenchamber.com

Camden County’s Exhibition of Local Flavor

On Friday, May 29th 2009 at the Satilla Waterfront Park in Woodbine, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Join us!

Camden County employees and residents are encouraged to participate in this event! Participants must complete and submit an entry form, which can be found on Camden County Government’s website: www.co.camden.ga.us, by May 15th.

All entries must be prepared and brought to the Satilla Waterfront Park on Friday, May 29th no later than 11:00 AM. The primary ingredient in your recipe must be PEACHES.

A winner will be selected from each of the three recipe categories:

• Drinks
• Appetizers
• Desserts

*Winners will receive a special “peach” themed gift basket!
Come out and enjoy the taste of Camden County’s local flavor!

call for more information: 912-510-0464

Earth Hour – March 28 – 8:30pm-9:30pm

The St. Marys EarthKeepers are pleased to announce that the cities of St. Marys, Kingsland and Woodbine, along with Camden County have issued a joint proclamation declaring countywide participation in EARTH HOUR, 2009.

Earth Hour is an annual international event created by the World Wildlife Fund wherein governments, businesses and households are asked to turn off non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness of the need to protect our planet through energy conservation.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people participating. International landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

The Earth Hour 2009 goal is an ambitious one: One billion people switching off their lights as part of a global movement and statement. Over 80 countries and territories have pledged their support during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday. In the United States, cities such as New York, St. Louis, Atlanta and even Las Vegas are joining in along with countless others in our nation.

St. Marys EarthKeepers Chair Frank Quinby said, “This is an extraordinary movement and one that will make a huge impact in terms of energy savings and represents a visible commitment to a more sustainable future as well. Earth Hour is a time for everyone to take action and become great Earth stewards.”

We urge all residents to join in on March 28 from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. Let’s show the world that Camden County cares! Collectively, by turning out the lights, we can create a brighter tomorrow.

For more information visit www.earthhour.org or www.stmarysearthkeepers.com or call 912-729-1103.

Entertainment legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton announced a groundbreaking partnership Friday between her Dollywood Foundation and Rotary International to promote early childhood reading. The result of the partnership will be a statewide expansion of Georgia’s Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy. Pre-school children in every county will one day receive age appropriate books to better prepare them for reading and learning success.
In an agreement approved by the leadership of Rotary International and the Dollywood Foundation, Rotary clubs in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom will support the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library program, which provides books to children from birth until they enter kindergarten. Through the joint leadership of all three Georgia Rotary District Governors, all Rotary clubs in the state will be encouraged
to participate and raise funds for the Ferst Foundation in the expanded program.
Ms. Parton made the announcement Friday morning at the AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta. Rotary Foundation Trustee John Germ and the founder of the Ferst Foundation, Robin Ferst, among others, joined Ms. Parton on stage.
“We have dreamed of this day since we mailed our first books to children in Morgan County in 1999,” Ms. Ferst said. “We’ve strived to reach every child under the age of 5 in Georgia and now with Dolly’s support and the leadership of Rotary International we are finally within reach of that goal.”
Ms. Parton grew up in an underprivileged Tennessee community where many around her lacked the literacy skills she developed through her personal love of books. From that experience she started the Imagination Library, which includes 60 classic childhood books such as “The Little Engine That Could.” Ms. Parton’s foundation now sends 500,000 books each month to children at risk of falling behind their peers because they
lack exposure to reading and age appropriate material at an early age.
Ms. Parton’s program has been an inspiration to many, including Ms. Ferst, a fourth generation philanthropist in Atlanta who created the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy in 1999. Ms. Ferst’s goal is to emulate Ms. Parton’s Tennessee success in Georgia. Rotary clubs will help Ferst expand the Foundation’s presence in Georgia from 64 counties now (representing 42,000 books a month) to all 159 counties.
The Ferst Foundation encourages children to dream and learn through reading, promoting family involvement in achieving early school success for children. “We are thrilled to have Dolly’s support and the support of Rotary International,” said Midtown Atlanta Rotary club’s president Barbara Rose. “We believe Georgia’s Rotary clubs are key to providing structured leadership across the state to ensure success. We now have the tools needed to break the cycle of illiteracy in Georgia. Our job as Rotarians is to elevate this issue to a new level of consciousness and activate our communities to address this often hidden menace.”