Relieving Pain, Creating Smiles by Melissa LaScaleia South Strand Dental Associates is a general dentistry practice that offers a full range of comprehensive dental services for patients of all ages like: deep cleanings, preventative oral care, crown and bridge and extraction services, and cosmetic dentistry. A local orthodontist makes twice monthly visits to their office for orthodontic procedures. Dr. Daniel Miller III, or Dr. Dan, as he’s known in the office, has always been rooted in South Carolina. He was born in Dillon, and spent his teenage years in Murrells Inlet after his family relocated here. He attended Waccamaw High School and then attended Wofford College, in Spartanburg South Carolina.  “In college I knew that I was interested in the areas of science, health and medicine, but I wasn’t sure what specific field I wanted to pursue,” Daniel says. “I grew up in a household of dentistry— my dad, Daniel Miller Jr. is a dentist, and his grandfather was a dentist; I finally decided to go that direction too.” Daniel went to the Medical University of South Carolina and graduated in 2004 from Dental School. Directly after graduation, he joined his father’s dental practice at the Beach.  The team of South Strand Dental Associates works to stay current with new methods, techniques, and technology to offer the best in dentistry services. Dr. Benjamin H. Collins (above) is an owner in the practice with the Millers. —Photo Meganpixels Parker “It’s been really good for us to work together,” Dr. Dan says, speaking of the business relationship with his father. “We’ve always gotten along well. He’s a great father, and has been helpful to me in my career in every possible way. I’ve always appreciated him as a mentor. Our personalities are just different enough, which I think makes us work better together. I’m a little more quiet, and he’s a little more talkative. I think that makes us a good team— even though we have the same name.” Dr. Miller Jr. has been practicing dentistry for forty-two years, initially in Dillon, SC. “As a dentist, I like helping people and being able to help people maintain beautiful teeth and smiles,” he says. “I also like to relieve pain and suffering, even though that’s not a popular thing to reference in dentistry.”  Today the dental practice is jointly owned by Dr. Dan, his father, and Dr. Benjamin Collins— Dr. Dan having become part owner this past year. “We have a really well-rounded team that covers all age groups,” Dr. Miller says.  Dr. Daniel W. Miller III, or Dr. Dan as he’s known in the office, is a partner in the dental practice with his father, Dr. Miller Jr. “We make a good team,” he says of working with his father. —Photo Meganpixels Parker “Our dental office has a family feel to it because of the atmosphere we create as a team, and the care we show our patients,” Dr. Dan says. “We take the time to get to know our patients so we can provide them with the best service possible. Many of our patients are retired— it’s interesting to get to know them and hear about their lives.” Dr. Dan also loves the rapid changes to his industry, which keeps things fresh, interesting, and always challenging. “I’m constantly working to stay current with new methods, techniques, and technology to offer the best in dentistry services,” he says. “The new ways make procedures more simple, less painful, and our patients’ lives easier as well as our jobs easier.” “It’s fun to work and live along the Grand Strand because most people I see want to be here and are happy to be here,” he adds. “I love playing golf and being outside. My wife, Brianne, is an elementary school guidance counselor. We have two girls: Charlotte, who is 11, and Abigail who is 8. We enjoy all the outdoor activities that we can do together as a family, like kayaking, hiking, and being on the Intracoastal Waterway. I love spending time with my family, that’s very important to me.”  South Strand Dental Associates Globe Phone Map-marked-alt Facebook

by Karen Riordan, President & CEO Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) serves two distinct purposes in our community. We exist to protect, promote and improve the business landscape of our area through education programs, networking opportunities and advocacy initiatives. We’re also the official destination marketing organization for the Grand Strand, drawing visitors to our beautiful beach communities and ensuring our tourism industry remains strong through aggressive national advertising and sales initiatives. And when times of uncertainty affect our area, MBACC is there as a resource for our business and hospitality partners. COVID-19 is an unprecedented event, different from past challenges we’ve faced because of the number of unknowns and the fluidity of the situation.  As a country we’ve watched our government react to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As a community we have watched our business partners look for ways to adjust operations to stay afloat as public health guidance has changed daily. In some instances, businesses have temporarily closed, furloughed or laid-off employees, or altered their hours drastically as we have all practiced social distancing and self-isolation. Through it all, MBACC has worked to help our community navigate these difficult times. Here are a few examples of the work we’re doing to help Myrtle Beach businesses prepare and recover from the impact of COVID-19: Advocacy One of the most important roles in our organization is to keep the Myrtle Beach area top-of-mind with our legislators. We’ve been in constant communication with our leaders at the local, state and federal levels since before COVID-19 began to impact our community. And as we’ve watched the closures and cancellations of events, attractions, and restaurants, we’ve stepped up our efforts to ensure the tourism industry is included in federal and state relief packages. Resources There has been no shortage of information relating to COVID-19. Tax changes, business regulations, small business loans, tips for healthy hygiene, and so much more has been hitting our inboxes daily just like it has yours. We have taken that information, edited it down to the most important information you need for your business, and posted it regularly on our website, social channels, and in a daily email update to businesses to help them find what they need in a timely manner. Marketing Throughout this pandemic our message has been to ask visitors to postpone trips, not cancel them, so when it is time to come back, we will be ready for them. We are assisting guests  with requests for refunds or credits for future travel and supporting our lodging partners however we can. We halted our ad campaign and shifted to “Sharing some sunshine” on our social channels to bring a smile to guest’s faces during this difficult time.  We are also supporting our restaurant community as they labor to stay open through take-out and curbside services. Our marketing team is preparing a recovery plan to bring our visitors back, safely and strategically, once COVID-19 has passed. We want to assure you that as your local chamber and convention and visitors bureau, we are here for the duration of this event with our team, working remotely every day to support our business community and our residents.   Your Chamber has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand’s business community since 1938. We have weathered many storms and faced significant challenges, including the events of 9/11 and devastating hurricanes and floods. We have no doubt that together our community will overcome this newest challenge. Visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com and VisitMyrtleBeach.com for more on the chamber’s response to COVID-19, the latest resources and information to help your business during these uncertain times, and information on recovery plans as it becomes available.

Saturday, March 14, 2020 in North Myrtle Beach by Melissa LaScaleia The Grand Strand’s iconic and hugely popular St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, put on by the City of North Myrtle Beach, will be held this year on Saturday, March 14 in North Myrtle Beach. The parade is organized by the Grand Strand Optimist Club as a fundraiser for their youth outreach projects.  Over one hundred floats and businesses participate in the parade, all decorated with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.  “It’s a great opportunity for area businesses to advertise,” says Tina McCrackin, director of events and programs for the City of North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation. As the director, Tina is instrumental in helping to organize the parade and festival logistics, both prior to and during the event.  “Additionally, different organizations, like the Chamber of Commerce or city council will have floats,” she says. “And there are pageant queens too. It’s a fun, lighthearted event, that about 10,000 people turn out to see.”  The parade is covered by WPDE television network, a local subsidiary of ABC, and aired live on their station. Most of the well-known TV personalities from the network will be there that day, acting as hosts for the event. “There are three announcement stages,” says Tina. “As the floats pass by, the television network will read who they are and what they offer. And after the parade, TV personalities will be at the festival for a meet and greet.”  Participants and bystanders from the no hands no-holds-barred shepherds pie eating contest stand at the ready. — Photo North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation The parade runs from 9am-11am. It starts at the intersection of Ye Olde Kings and Main Street, travels down Main Street, and turns onto Hillside Drive, Second Ave South, and Ocean Blvd respectively. It ends at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and Ocean Blvd. After the parade, the festival begins. It is located on Main Street, from Cedar Ave to Ocean Blvd. Approximately 50,000 people from all over the Grand Strand, North Carolina, and inland turn out for it. “It’s like a sea of green, as all the spectators come into the festival area,” Tina says.  The festival is free to attend and is held from 11am-4pm. There is offsite parking available with free shuttles that run back and forth all day. Approximately two hundred vendors participate in the festival; there is representation from a myriad of genres— everything from arts and crafts stalls to professional businesses, and local non-profits. There are a combination of retail and resale establishments, as well as artists and artisans offering their own wooden bowls, wreaths, jewelry, pottery, homemade beef jerky, knits, pet gifts, art work, and clothing. Businesses have booths to promote their services, from which they hand out literature and are available to answer questions. There are three stages of entertainment featuring bands and local entertainment all day long. Tan and Sober Gentlemen, a very fun and energetic Irish music act from the Charlotte area, are the headline act.  “They have a little following in our area, we’ve had them play several times,” Tina says.  One pipe and drum band will also be performing, and the local elementary school will dance and perform an ensemble act.  And then there’s the much anticipated, highly touted leprechaun contest. The 2019 winner of the Leprechaun contest and current reigning champion. The honor is bestowed upon the victor for a year, and the title will be up for grabs once more at the start of this year’s festival. — Photo North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation People wait all year to witness and compete in the event that ushers in North Myrtle Beach’s most coveted honor— the chance to be designated the official North Myrtle Beach leprechaun for the entire year. WPDE television acts as the judges with input from the audience.    “We have a little bit of everything with this event,” Tina says with a laugh. “All age groups participate in it. From head to toe people dress up like a leprechaun. Some even take on a leprechaun persona.”  The contestants are judged on originality, creativity, enthusiasm, appearance, and energy, and potentially their accent, as they are allowed to introduce themselves. The winner gets an official St. Patricks’ Day t-shirt, a $100 gift card to Walmart, and the satisfaction of knowing they are the leprechaun for the year.  “Usually last year’s winner comes back and tries to win it again,” Tina says. “The contest has really become exciting in the last few years. The clapping and whistles are what sway WPDE to select the winner.”  Then there is the shepherd’s pie-eating contest, which is just as fun and zany as it sounds.  “The shepherd’s pie eating contest is really fun,” Tina says. “It’s about who can clean their plate without using their hands. We get a large dish from Flynn’s Irish Tavern, portion it out, and whoever finishes first, without their hands, wins. It took less than a minute for last year’s winner to finish. He had been trying to win for four years. Everyone is screaming and jumping up and down. We have a good time with it.”  In addition to the entertainment, there are many different food vendors: traditional Irish food like bangers and mash, seafood, Italian food, pizza, chicken fingers, and all the fun festival foods like fried banana pudding, cheesecake, pickles, and funnel cakes. All the businesses along main street will be open as well, so you can stop in to dine at any of the establishments.  Photo North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation. There are plenty of the favorite Irish drinks to go around, but this is also a family friendly event, and a safe environment for everyone.  There’s a children’s area with activities that include everything from carnival games like balloon darts to inflatables. There’s something for children of all ages. “We’ve had a lot of success with this festival over the last few years,” Tina says. “It … Read more

We Love Our Customers by Melissa LaScaleia Seaside Furniture Gallery & Accents originated in Calabash in 2001. Julie Almeida and Pete Morgan are siblings and founders— both were raised in the area.  In 2006, with the opening of their North Myrtle Beach store, Seaside Furniture Gallery consolidated from two stores to one. In 2010 they became Seaside Furniture Gallery & Accents, and a few years later added an additional 8,000 square feet of showroom, bringing their showroom total to just over 18,000 square feet. “Seaside has a lot to offer everyone, from the beachy, coastal style to elegant, traditional and even retro looks,” says Kent Shaeffer, general manager for the store. “But we prefer the coastal look because it creates such a happy feeling when people come into our store. We carry bright coastal colors and a huge variety of bedroom, dining room, and living room furniture, recliners, and a large assortment of coastal accessories.”  “I’m proud to say that we have the best prices for the highest quality products,” says Julie. “Everything here can be delivered on the same or next day. Additionally, customers can custom order anything to their specifications.” “Everything has a coastal slant,” says Kent. “We carry some traditional looks as well, but coastal is our thumbprint.” — Photo Meganpixels Parker “Our customers love the personal service and attention to detail that they receive,” she adds. “They’ll always hear a hello when they come in, and a thank-you for their business.” “We welcome our clients to come with whatever their color inspiration is, whether it’s cabinet, or floors, or walls, so when we’re helping you select fabric or furniture, we have all those pieces of the puzzle,” Kent says. People enjoy coming in and seeing what’s current, as Seaside has new merchandise arriving almost daily, and sells furniture and accessories right off of their showroom floor. “Relationships are important to us,” Julie says. “We love it when our repeat customers bring in family and friends, some with gifts of homemade sweets, or fruits and vegetables from their garden.”  There are thousands of fabrics and leathers to choose from when selecting your sofa, sleeper sofa, or reclining sofa groups. And for those who have a nook for a small dining room or even a large dining room, Seaside has many options for furnishing your space. Several of their manufacturers offer hundreds of colors. “We welcome our clients to come with whatever their color inspiration is, whether it’s cabinet, floors, or walls, so when we’re helping you select fabric or furniture, we have all those pieces of the puzzle,” Kent says. — Photo Meganpixels Parker Seaside can help you decorate your office areas, guest bedrooms, and master bedrooms— and they’ll provide you with mattresses too. They have a wide selection of brands to choose from with companies like Capris, Palliser, Flexsteel, Best Chair, Riverside, Canadel, John Thomas, Madison Avenue, Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, and Jamison mattresses. Seaside offers every price point to meet the needs of their customers— from just-starting-out budgets to higher end designers. “There’s no better place to work at than here at Seaside,” says Kent who has been with the company for the past seven years. Kent handles all of the marketing and customer service. He is the face of Seaside in their television commercials as well as on the radio. Pete Morgan is their sales manager. He helps with floor management, sales staff and overall client experiences. “We allow people to walk around and get a feel for our products; we want our customers to know that we’re there to offer suggestions on matching or design without pressure or obligation,” he says. “We prefer our customers to be able to relax and enjoy the experience of picking out furniture and decor for their home.”    Seaside’s staff comes from all over the East coast. — Photo Meganpixels Parker “I’m proud to say that our Seaside family has the best group of employees I ever could have imagined,” says Julie. “They are considerate of each other, as well as our clients, and they go above and beyond to make sure that our customers’ experience with Seaside is the best, from the sales floor to the delivery.” Seaside Furniture Gallery & Accents is also proud to be sponsors of so many events happening in the North Myrtle Beach area, as well as along the Grand Strand. They participate in the North Myrtle Beach Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day parades. They share in the enjoyment of creating innovative floats for the parades, and have won first and second place in both the parades. Their team also enjoys passing out candy and being a part of the crowd. Seaside donates to several local area charity organizations. Several years ago, they teamed up with WPDE and Capris Furniture to donate multiple living room sets to area flood victims after storms.  Seaside Furniture Gallery & Accents has been awarded the ‘Best of the Grand Strand’ award for four years. In 2019 they won for ‘Best Furniture Store,’ ‘Best Interior Design Store,’ and ‘Best Mattress Store.’ They have also won the North Strand Readers Award for the last two years. “Seaside has been an incredible experience for me as well as my staff,” Julie says. “They work so hard and are very diligent. We could not have done this without our loyal customers, and we are grateful for you.” Seaside Furniture Gallery and Accents Facebook Globe Phone Map-marked-alt

Come Join the Cart Life by Melissa LaScaleia King of Carts in Surfside Beach is a popular local business that sells, rents and services golf cars. They specialize in buying off-lease vehicles and remanufacturing and customizing them for their retail store. Pat Dye is the general manager, and oversees all day-to-day operations along with his right hand Todd Barlow. King of Carts has a sales and service team, staff to manage the rentals, and a customer service team to help coordinate custom car builds and accessory sales. King of Carts was founded in 2009 and has been under its current ownership since 2015. It’s located in the historic Legends in Concert building. Step inside what was concert seating area to find a showroom full of custom golf cars, built to exacting specs and with a full warranty. Pat Dye, general manager (right), along with Todd Barlow (left), create a fun and lively atmosphere while getting things done, to ensure that their customers’ stop at King of Carts will always be an asset to their vacation. — Photo Meganpixels Parker “A brand new car similar to ours can cost between $10,000 to $14,000, but our remanufactured, customized ones are around $6,000,” Pat says. “We can completely rebuild a car and it can look brand new. We install lift kits, custom tires and wheels, brush guards, LED lights, blinkers, arm rests, golf bag attachments, custom steering wheels, and more. “We have a lot of people who come in, look around and say, ‘Do you have anything used in here?’ But the answer is, they all are.” “We have a jovial, light atmosphere here,” he continues. “During the summer months, Myrtle Beach is busier, and people can get stressed out. A lot of the time, we’re the first stop that people will make when they arrive for their vacation. After many hours in the car, they’re ready to decompress. They’ll come here to get their car before they even check into their vacation property, so we try to make it a positive, fun experience. — Photo Meganpixels Parker “It’s also a great work environment and everyone is well trained. Our employees love working here. Everybody has a job to do, but we all have fun while we do it. We also have a tremendous number of customers that come back year after year, and those customers are like family.”  King of Carts has over 200 cars that they rent during the summer months. The company stays open late, from 8am-7pm daily, to accommodate the needs of their customers. And they offer short term hourly rentals as well as long-term rentals that can last the entire summer. The company can also deliver your rental car, so it’s waiting for you as soon as you get to town. If you prefer, you can pre-order your car and it will be waiting for you to pick up at their location on Hwy Business 17. The company’s redesign and remanufacturing process is so well executed that customers often don’t realize that their cars are used, not new. — Photo Meganpixels Parker They exclusively carry the Club Car brand, because it’s the only major brand that won’t rust in the salty ocean environment of Myrtle Beach. “Being at the beach, you have a lot of issues with salt air and salt water,” Pat explains. “Our units have an all aluminum alloy frame which limits corrosion and wear and tear.” For service work, they do everything from manual maintenance and repairs to complete rebuilds. They can freshen up an 8-year-old vehicle, and offer custom paint jobs. Their laid-back, happy vibe, quality of their offerings, and excellent customer service has paid off; the company has more than doubled in growth in the past few years. And they’re competitively priced— they haven’t raised their rates in three years. King of Carts Facebook Globe Phone Map-marked-alt

Where Moore is More by Melissa LaScaleia The story of Moore and Associates dates back to the late ’70s when Melvin Truett started working in the insurance industry with Nationwide, in Florence, South Carolina.  In 1985, he relocated to Myrtle Beach, with the intention of opening his own small insurance agency. In 1991, he purchased Moore and Associates in Surfside Beach. His son Sammy has jointly run the business with him since that time.    Moore and Associates had been operating as an insurance agency in Surfside Beach since 1979, and the name was known throughout the area. After the purchase and transfer, Sammy and Melvin chose to keep it the same so the community would still recognize them. Today, Moore and Associates is a full service insurance agency offering property, casual and commercial coverage, as well as life and health policies. Their customers can choose from a wide array of insurance carriers— and they’re constantly expanding that list. “The best part of what I do is dealing with the public and being there for my clients when they need me,” Sammy says of his company. “People need agents that they can trust to help them with their claims. We submit all claims for our clients through the individual insurance company, and we’re there for them every step of the way if they need anything additional during the process.”  The biggest challenge that Sammy sees for people is that they don’t understand their policy, what they are protected from, and are covered for. This is what he and his team are ready to help their clients address. “As a company, we’re big on consumer education,” says Amanda Vibbert, a licensed insurance broker with Moore and Associates since 2006. “Not just about the nuances of your policy, but things like: why rates are the way they are, endorsements, and owner responsibilities. Regardless of whether people choose to go with our agency or not, they should understand the basics of insurance so they can make informed choices, and shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions.”  It’s important for people to know if they have enough coverage. And an important topic and one that is rife with confusion is flood policies and flood zones. “Everybody in our area is in a flood zone, but not everyone is located in a high-risk flood zone,” Amanda says. “Many people think they don’t need flood insurance because their home is not located in a high-risk flood zone, but over 50% of floods happening now are coming from areas that aren’t designated as such. If you look at data across the nation over the past four years, the low-risk zones are flooding more than the high-risk zones. “We see this reflected in Conway, Georgetown, and Socastee. You can’t predict it; it’s just Mother Nature. Additionally, the topography of the land is changing. We’re seeing an uptick in construction, and flooding is a lot more prevalent these days as a result. As greater numbers of homes are being built closer to the water, it becomes harder for the storm water run-off to flow efficiently. “Also, you can’t control for rain; with this past storm at the end of summer, the water simply flowed north to south.”  “Flood insurance is actually quite affordable, but people aren’t protecting themselves because they’re not getting the correct information,” she adds. “They don’t even know that they need it.”  Another area of confusion for people is their personal financial responsibility with their policies. After Hurricane Matthew in 2016, a lot of consumers didn’t realize that insurance companies had changed their deductibles into what is known as a split-wind deductible, leaving consumers with a higher dollar-amount responsibility. Amanda (left) and the team of Moore and Associates believe in the importance of educating their clients about policy nuances, rates, and consumer responsibilities so their clients are empowered and prepared in the event of a disaster. — Photo Rachel Ogg “We’ve made a big effort to make sure that consumers are aware of the changes to their policy so that there’s no sticker shock in the aftermath,” Amanda says. “Each policy has subtle nuances. People really need to understand their endorsements and how their deductibles work.”  For house insurance, Amanda and her team recommend a full-replacement-cost policy. This ensures that there is no depreciation of the value of your home or goods, and you are only responsible for paying your deductible in the event of a disaster. Conversely, an actual cash value policy will add the depreciation of your home in addition to a deductible before the insurance company will pay out— a scenario which can leave many consumers devastated both emotionally as well as financially. Moore and Associates tries to bypass situations like these by adhering to their tenets of client education. Additionally, they try to encourage people to take a full inventory of their home and their possessions to have on file when they sign up for insurance, to make making an insurance claim, easier. “A lot of times, after a storm is over, people are devastated, and they can’t remember what they have,” Sammy says. My Home Scrapbook is a free mobile app designed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that offers a digital way to inventory your home. With it, you can even scan barcodes of your possessions to send to your email as an Excel document. Moore and Associates has all avenues open and available to help their clients in the event of a disaster. They provide their customers with online channels for support as well, in case they themselves are without power, or don’t have a building standing. As a way to further their mission of educating the community, Moore and Associates offers an informational video series about all things insurance related that people can watch on their website. On it they address some of their most frequently received questions. If you’re looking for advice on a certain topic and they haven’t done a video about it, contact them, … Read more

Your Place for Special Ordinary Things by Melissa LaScaleia Sora Bora Boutique in the Market Common carries upscale casual clothing, accessories, and jewelry for women of all ages. “The pieces are classic and elegant but with a little twist of fun and a bit of sweetness to them that correlates to the Myrtle Beach lifestyle,” says owner Eunice Han. She also carries a thoughtfully acquired selection of natural body products. Eunice sources all of the items in her store from trade shows in her native NYC that she attends bi-annually. She handpicks everything herself, offering a selection that is appealing because the items are high quality, yet simple, classic, comfortable, and easy to wear. “The products have a New York flavor but are perfectly suited for the laid-back Myrtle Beach lifestyle,” she says. Eunice was born in Korea, and moved to Philadelphia when she was seventeen-years-old. She later relocated to New York City where she lived for twenty years. She and her husband met there, and called it home until they recently took a vacation to Myrtle Beach. They fell in love with this place, and within the year, the two had traded in their life in the big city for Myrtle Beach. Eunice shows just as much taste and artistry in the decor of her store as she does in the clothing and accessories she fills it with, having created the design and personally executing all of the labor herself. “I wanted to bring aspects of what some of the quainter streets and parks of New York City look like into my space,” she says. — Photo Meganpixels Parker Owner Eunic Han blends the timeless grace and simple elegance of New York fashion with the easy-going, fun, and happy vibe of Myrtle Beach into the upscale, casual women’s clothing and accessories she carries in her boutique. — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker — Photo Meganpixels Parker Previous Next The result? Visitors feel a sense of intimacy and warmth when they visit— as if each garment had been hand-selected for them.  Although this is her first brick and mortar business, Eunice is no stranger to entrepreneurial ventures. For years she ran a successful online store on Etsy, where she designed and crafted women’s handbags and backpacks. “I’ve always been fashion-oriented and creative,” she says. Now she devotes all of her time and creative passion to making Sora Bora a success. And she’s well on her way. Her store has something to offer customers of all ages, from teens to retirees, as she seamlessly intertwines components that appeal to a wide range of ages, both in terms of her products as well as the layout of her store. Her mission? “I want to help people make every day special and every event memorable through the clothing they wear,” she says. “I’m building my business very personally. I am happy that with Sora Bora, I can make a positive and lasting contribution to the variety of what is offered here in the Market Common. “With Sora Bora, I love that I can be creative and share my own unique style with the community. I enjoy being in the store and meeting different people— little by little, forging relationships and instilling a sense of beauty and extraordinary into people’s everyday lives.” Sora Sora Boutique Facebook Globe Phone Map-marked-alt

An Anti-Bullying Leadership Program by Melissa LaScaleia The mission of Healthy Concepts Inc., 501(C)(3) is to work with the community to help children combat bullying and improve self-esteem in a safe and nurturing environment.  The program is the brainchild of Lisa Melendez, who has been building it since 2015. “Bullying is an epidemic right now,” Lisa says. “My husband and I own a karate studio in Myrtle Beach and we work with kids all the time. We can see it. We ran an after-school program in Brooklyn, and when we came to Myrtle Beach and realized the epidemic of bullying extended even to here, we knew that this was something we needed to continue.”  Statistically, 156,000 youth across our country do not go to school every day for fear of bullying and harassment. There are over 40,000 latch-key kids across our country, children who come home to empty houses and have no one to talk to about their day. “Consequently, many are dealing with mental illness or depression, and are either victims of bullying or are the bullies themselves,” Lisa says. “We began this program to make sure we got to our youth and let them know that they matter.”  As a way to learn how to support these children, Lisa and her team of volunteers who share in her passion and mission began training with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is a national support group for people who have family members who are diagnosed with mental illness. “In this way, it’s a full circle,” she says. “We work with the kids and bring in the families to be able to offer this support. If the families are not involved, then there’s a gap. We act as the bridge between the kids and the school and kids and the parents. We are the other adults that these kids can come to for support.”  The specialty focus on anti-bullying developed organically. “We structured the time we spent with children into what we call WRAP sessions, where we teach soft skills for coping with life’s challenges,” Lisa explains. “The W stands for wellness; R for respect; A for acceptance; and P for protection. As part of the P, we taught self-defense, anti-abduction workshops, and anti-bullying. “And when we brought up the anti-bullying, it took off and took a life of its own. We thought it was going to be a small section of the program, but all the kids started talking about it, opening up about the things that were happening on the bus, and the things they saw— adults bullying one another; what they saw on the news; cyber bullying. So we started to do more research and realized there was a huge need here.”  “Last year, Anti-Bullying made a huge impact,” Lisa adds. “We had a 10-year-old boy in our program who wanted to kill himself because of bullying. Because of our support, and the support of his peers in the group, he’s no longer in a dangerous space mentally, and is receiving professional counseling.”  Anti-Bullying and Healthy Concepts have been gaining media exposure— they’ve been on WPDE, WMBF news and Channel 13. But because of a lack of funding, they lost their space to host the program for this year. “We are trying to secure funding so we can continue and expand,” Lisa says. “We have a goal of raising $50,000 to secure a location and provide scholarships for children to attend the program. We would love to have this program running again by the next school year, August 2020. All of your donations go directly to these children and this space; everyone who works with us is a volunteer.”  Donate at Lisa’s Go Fund Me page: Leadership Anti-Bullying Program, and contact her if you have a space you’re willing to donate, or can offer assistance in launching the fundraising aspects of her 501(c)(3). Currently, she and her husband host a family enrichment night every other month. This is a free program that the whole family can attend to learn about bullying, what it is, how to report it, how to cope with it, and how to offer support in the face of it. Healthy Concepts Facebook Globe Phone