Thursday, May 26, 2011

Roswell Remembers

Memorial Day is a great time to stop and remember all of the men and women who gave all in our Armed Forces to ensure that American continues to have the freedoms and liberties that we often take for granted.

Roswell, Georgia hosts the largest Memorial Day Ceremony in Georgia on the grounds of City Hall. The grassy lawn between City Hall and the Faces of War Memorial is a fitting location for the ceremony. My favorite part of the ceremony is the playing of the service hymns for each branch of service. It’s hard not to shed a tear or two when veterans who are normally bent with age, stand at attention proudly saluting their branch of the service.

From it’s beginnings in 1997, this ceremony has grown to over 7,000 people from all over Georgia and the southeast in attendance.

Program:
10:00 am Displays Open to the Public
10:15 am Pre-Ceremony Music:
Atlanta Wind Symphony & Chattahoochee Celtic Pipes & Drums
11:00 am Official Start of Program
12:30 pm Conclusion of Program
12:45 pm Food Tent Opens and Concert on the Lawn

This year’s key note speaker is Donna C. Rowe, U. S. Army Nurse Corps, 1964 – 1969. After her Army service, she was a Red Cross nurse from 1969-1999, serving at Womack Army Hospital, DeWitt Army Hospital, and the Southeastern Disaster Response Center.

Come join us as we honor those who died to preserve our freedom.

Full details available at www.roswellmemorialday.com


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

And The Winner Is .....

The mayors of Roswell and Alpharetta trash-talked, ran around gathering items, totaled them in their heads to reach their $498 goal, and raced to beat the clock. When their purchases were totaled, the winner was North Fulton Charities! $1000 worth of non-perishables were donated to their food bank.

For those of you who thrive on competion, Mayor Jere Wood’s purchases were the closest so Roswell earned bragging rights over Alpharetta. It was a fun event, highlighting the value of tourism to every household in Georgia.

Thank you to all who came to cheer them on and most of all to Tourists who come to visit Georgia!

For more pictures of the competition, check out http://roswell.patch.com/articles/roswell-wins-mayors-grocery-showdown


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mayors Grocery Showdown

Take 2 mayors, 4 shopping carts and 10 minutes and what do you have? No, not the plot for a new television show. No, not a new shopping service. Not even a grand opening for a new store.

Give up? It’s a fun way to demonstrate the economic impact of tourism in our state. Did you know that each Georgia household (and that’s quite a lot of folks) saves $498 in taxes just because Georgia is a cool place to visit? Thanks to all of those wonderful folks who flock to see our attractions, enjoy the beautiful and varied Georgia scenery, shop in our stores, eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, and so on, each and every one of us shoulders a smaller tax burden.

Now that you know why they’re doing it, what are they going to do with those shopping carts? Mayor Jere Wood from Roswell and Mayor Arthur Letchas from Alpharetta each have just 10 minutes to load up a maximum of 2 carts, each, with non-perishable items from the Kroger at 570 East Crossville Road in Roswell. The mayor whose total is closest to $498 (that wonderful amount that tourism generates per household), wins bragging rights …..But, the real winner in the competition will be North Fulton Community Charities who will receive $1000 in food donations for their food pantry.

All of us get to come, cheer our Mayors and watch the fun. I can’t wait to see which foods they choose and how good their math skills are with the clock ticking and the crowd cheering for their favorites. It would take me the 10 minutes they’ll have just to scan the store ad, create my shopping list, and map out my route through the store.

Come join us as we showcase “Tourism Means a Healthy Economy” with this friendly competition on May 23rd at 11:30 am at Kroger located at 570 East Crossville Road, Roswell, GA.

This event is sponsored by the Roswell and Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureaus.



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Drake Walk and Festival

How’d you like to get some exercise, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and help raise money for a good cause, all at the same time? This Saturday, you can do just that with The Drake Walk in Roswell.

There are 1 mile, 5K and 10 K options, all beginning at Roswell United Methodist Church on Mimosa Blvd. Think of the walk routes as basically a great excuse to stroll through the historic downtown area. Since the walk has no time limit, I think that a stop or two along the way to shop or check out one of the unique restaurants on the walk route is in order.

Before and after the walk, enjoy the festival with all kinds of fun things to do in the parking lot at the church. Food, drinks, music, chair massage, cholesterol testing, children’s activities and even free haircuts for children are just a few of the fun things to do.

Thanks to the wonderful local sponsors, everyone who registers for the walk will be part of the drawing for prizes! How many walks/races can you participate in where you don’t have to be the fastest to win?

Registration is $15 per person and $30 for families. Check in time is 10 to 11:30 am. You can pre-register, online, or come and register onsite at the event. To register online, go to www.active.com/walking/roswell-ga/the-drakewalk-2011

The Drake House provides short-term crisis housing, assessment, support and empowerment to homeless mothers and their children in north Fulton County. Funds raised from the walk will help maintain 16 furnished apartments and provide empowerment programs on job readiness and personal finances. Think of it as a “hand up” instead of a “hand out” for the women who are part of the program. For more information on The Drake House, see www.thedrakehouse.org

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Don't Forget Mom!

Calling all husbands, fathers, and children, this is your final warning that Mother’s Day is this weekend! Unless you’re of an age where the Tooth Fairy regularly visits, you probably have outgrown simply giving Mom a great big kiss to go with the card you made in school. Husbands – as much as your wife might let you think that a new washing machine or vacuum cleaner is just what she wanted, take it from me, your stock will rise measurably if you’re a little more creative.

If picking out gifts for Mom isn’t your thing, don’t worry - Roswell has you covered!

The 21st Annual Colors Festival of Arts is Saturday and Sunday, May 7th and 8th. Admission to the show is free. The festival is held on the Historic Town Square, which is located at the intersection of Highways 9 & 120, 10 am. - 6 pm. Historic Town Square will be filled with fine arts, original crafts, children’s activities, fun food, and entertainment. Shopping, food, and entertainment all in one place – we’ve got you covered!

For more information, check out www.visitroswellga.com/festival-arts.html

Treat Mom to a day off from cooking! We have many unique and fun restaurants in Roswell. Mother’s Day lunch can be a very busy time so reservations are recommended. For restaurant ideas, check out www.finditallroswell.com/restaurants.html While you’re at it, check out the Coupons and Special Offers to see if your favorite restaurant is offering any specials.

Let Mom Shop Until She Drops – This is easy for you and fun for her! Take your wife or mom to visit the unique shops in one of our unique shopping areas including Canton Street, SoCA (that’s “South of Canton” street for the uninformed), and Sweet Apple Village to name a few. Better yet, partner with some fellow husbands or your siblings and make it a “Girls Day Out” for all of the wives/moms. With so many interesting shops and fun eating opportunities, I’ve known ladies to have a great time looking, eating, and shopping for hours. Check out the shops at www.finditallroswell.com/shopping.html There are also specials offers and coupons for some of the shops so check them out, too, before heading out.

Treat Mom to a Make-Over or Spa Day – Hmm, wonder if my husband is reading this blog because this is so me! A little pampering can go a long way to making Mom feel special. We have a lot of great spas and salons that are ready to work their magic on Mom. Check out www.finditallroswell.com/beauty2.html and www.finditallroswell.com/massage-spa-services.html for some great ideas.

Treat Mom to a mini-Getaway – Book a babysitter and whisk Mom away to one of our hotels for a weekend where the two of you can unwind and get re-acquainted. We have lodging options to fit all budgets. Check out www.finditallroswell.com/lodging.html and book your favorite. During the day, there are many, many attractions for you that Mom would just love. Go to www.visitroswellga.com and click on the What To Do link for ideas from nature to cultural arts to keep you busy.

Your wife will love you when you Find It All in Roswell!