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The 13th Annual Best of the Emerald Coast Event was Record Breaking
December 3, 2013 by SoWal Staff
The thirteenth annual Best of the Emerald Coast event hosted by Emerald Coast magazine certainly lived up to its name breaking records in sales and attendance numbers. The Junior League of the Emerald Coast (JLEC) partnered with Rowland Publishing to execute an impeccable event at Grand Boulevard. This year’s event sold over 1,140 tickets, more than ever before. Due to the enormous success of this event, over $55,000 was raised and donated to JLEC to benefit their mission which is to help develop women into civic and community leaders, as well as assist with a variety of initiatives to help our local communities thrive.
“Best of the Emerald Coast” shops, bars, and restaurants beautifully displayed their products and provided exquisite food tastings for ticket holders to enjoy. Booths including generous samples of the Best Bloody Marys from Red Bar, Best Appetizers bang bang shrimp from Bonefish, Best Sushi from Harbor Docks, and Best BBQ from Jim N Nicks were some of the locals favorite stops of the night. Patrons of this event didn’t go home empty handed, as goodie bags were filled with complimentary t-shirts, koozies, spa samples, exclusive coupons and more. The musical talents of Cadillac Willy rounded out a perfect evening for families and friends who were celebrating their local vendors and service providers.
Proceeds from the Best of the Emerald Coast event will specifically go towards funding Junior League of the Emerald Coast community impact projects. Some of their charitable events include The Child Clothing Project, Kids in the Kitchen with Boys and Girls Club, and the annual backpack and school supply drive. For community members that are interested in participating in JLEC events, anyone is welcome to attend the 5k race, “Rock the Roads” in Destin, February 22, and the annual shopping event, Spring Market, which will be held April 26-27 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center. For more information on the Junior League of the Emerald Coast, or any of these events, please visit their website www.jlec.org, or call (850) 862-2665.
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the presenting sponsor Century Link as well as the upper level sponsors: Resort Quest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Silver Sands Premium Outlets, Grand Boulevard, Regions Bank, Florida Lottery, Clemenza's, Boshamps, Proffitt PR, SoWal, 30.com and Cumulus.