Since May 2007 PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON SC PERMIT NO 137 POSTAL PATRON
VOLUME 18 ISSUE 20
FREE
A Healthy Relationship
DECEMBER 20, 2024
KIAWAH CONTINUES TO SUPPORT FREE MEDICAL CLINIC BY THERESA STRATFORD
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For The Island Connection
t was 2008 when the first fundraiser for the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic was held on Kiawah Island’s River Course, and it was 2011 that the Town started supporting the medical clinic through grant funding. The rest is history because the Town has supported this worthy cause wholeheartedly ever since. At the November 5 Kiawah Island Town Council meeting, representatives from the Johns Island medical clinic came to speak on the organization’s behalf. This presentation came after the mayor, and a couple of the Council members had recently visited the clinic and were given a tour. (continued on page 3) Anyone in the areas of
Bishop Gadsden to open new Seafields community
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A sea turtle moving toward the ocean.
Promoting Kiawah’s Natural Environment for Tourism BY THERESA STRATFORD
uilding on its long connection to the Sea Islands and a 174-year history of excellence in senior living, Bishop Gadsden is looking forward to expanding its mission and reach through Seafields by Bishop Gadsden. With an anticipated opening in late 2025, Seafields by Bishop Gadsden will be a 62+ life plan community featuring 89 independent and 16 assisted living residences. Amenities of Seafields include an outdoor heated pool overlooking an expansive lake with Lowcountry wildlife; various culinary opportunities; an onsite salon; a yoga and fitness center; and various amenity spaces. Seafields will feature an onsite clinic and physician services and will provide easy access to the muchanticipated MUSC Health Kiawah Partners Pavilion. All of these amenities and services are within walking distance of the 50 shops, restaurants, spa services and boutique hotel accommodations that make Freshfields an outstanding destination for island residents and their visitors. Following the affiliation announcement, the Seafields by Bishop Gadsden Board of Directors named Kimberly Borts as its inaugural executive director. With a tenure of more than 17 years with Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, Borts will leave her role as vice president of Mission and (continued on page 4) Communications and assume the
Visit us
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAWAH ISLAND TURTLE PATROL
For The Island Connection
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hen promoting Kiawah Island as a tourist destination, one may think of strolling the shops of Freshfields Village, taking in a game of golf on one of their five public golf courses, relaxing on the beach or enjoying the view from the Sanctuary Hotel. Meanwhile, Mayor Bradley Belt wanted to market Kiawah Island’s natural side with the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, highlighting the area’s unique ecosystem and the many species of wildlife that call the island home. In a special video produced by the CVB with help from the mayor, Kiawah Island’s Communications Director Erin Pomrenke, and featuring the Kiawah Island Wildlife Biologist Jim Jordan, it isn’t the shops or the activities on Kiawah Island that draw a crowd. Instead, it’s the wildlife, including alligators, dolphins, shorebirds, bobcats and more, showcased along with breathtaking views across marshland, long beachfront dunes and the intricate intracoastal waterways. The voiceover is Kiawah Island’s own Jordan, who has been the island’s wildlife biologist for over 20 years. In the video, Jordan noted the thriving ecosystem of Kiawah Island, which is a 5,000-acre barrier island. He addressed the unique behavior of strand feeding among dolphins, especially off Captain Sams Spit. He also mentioned that they see over 300 different species
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of birds, some of which are year-round and others who are only passing through as they migrate to their final destinations. Jordan also discussed the island’s rare residents: the bobcats, who they fight to protect from certain rat poisonings, which has reduced their population over recent years. Kiawah Island is also known for its loggerhead sea turtle population. The Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol is probably the most popular volunteer gig on the island, with over 300 members. Jordan ends the video by inviting people to contribute to preserving Kiawah Island's natural environment by refraining from feeding the alligators and always keeping a safe distance from the island’s first residents – the wildlife. The video will be highlighted on the CVB website and in the Charleston Visitor’s Center. The Town of Kiawah Island will stream the video in their visitor’s center too and will post it on their social media channels and website. Pomrenke said, “Conservation and wildlife are important to the Kiawah community and the Town, and it was exciting to work with the CVB on this project.” Mayor Bradley Belt concluded, “Thank you to all involved in this. I am very pleased with the outcome. It’s a great video. Well done.”
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