Charleston is a very giving town, even during this economic meltdown. Recently The Sanctuary Resort on Kiawah Island created it's innagural "Gourmet & Grapes" fundraiser. It benefitted the Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center. The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was recently recognized as one of the best in the country. The Sanctuary has also been recognized as one of the best resorts in the country. It was a great partnership and we were proud to be part of it.

As the florist and event decor specialist for the Sanctuary, we do a lot of work with Adventures in Charleston, their destination management company. Hope Sweeney of Adventures in Charleston and our own Gayla Harvey brainstormed with The Sanctuary's Director of Catering Pam Russell on the look of the event.

They decided we needed a very large, contemporary design element for the center of the room. Something colorful, bold and well, LARGE. In fact, the goal was to completely cover the giant chandelier and take emphasis away from the lighting truss being installed for the event. Gayla and I kicked around different options, and eventually sketched out a square, tiered "lamp shade". We thought about making it entirely of Hawaiian orchid garlands...until we crunched the numbers and realized it would cost over $10,000 just for the flowers. Instead we decided to use a shimmering fabric in shades of dark red, the event's colors. Including the frame, fabrics and labor, it totalled just over $1,000. We also donated all of the flowers and other design elements for the three day event.

The photos you see take you from the brainstorming sketch we made in the office, to installation and finally during the actual event. I just thought it was a unique opportunity to see the entire process. Click on the photos to see larger images.

We attended the event, and it was a great success. It raised over $100,000 for the MUSC Cancer Center...great for the first year! It's always tough to start a fundraiser from nothing, and all the folks at The Sanctuary worked real hard on the event. I'm sure it will grow every year. Kudos to The Sanctuary, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and especially the fine folks who attended the event and graciously donated their time and money. With all the negative stuff we see on in the news, it's inspiring to see these folks stepping up. Ultimately it will be that type of energy that will be the "bail-out" from the economic troubles we are in. I left the event Saturday night understanding the solution to our troubles. It will not be the government, the banks, nor the money. It will be individuals, stepping up and leading the way.