Monday, January 31, 2011

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do...And a Luncheon...

Spirit of Athens is an organization that I have mentioned countless times on my blog. The work being done by SOA to revitalize our downtown and keep it thriving is simply awe inspiring. The annual Awards Luncheon was held recently, and I was honored to be a part of the planning committee. We had a full house!



It didn't look quite as full when we got started though. We brought in tables, centerpieces, linens, china, and more.


Each centerpiece was lent to us by stores located in downtown. That made them even more special! I loved this pot.


Each piece of pottery was carefully decorated with greenery and moss.


Herson is in this picture working on centerpieces. He is absolutely precious. He lives with a family here in town that brought him to the United States to go to college. They first met him when he was a little boy living in Guatemala. The family was there on a mission trip, stayed in close contact, sponsored him, and are now putting him through college. How touching is that story?


Each of the VIP tables was graced with fine china. This was no easy task. I was a little nervous driving around town with all my china in the back of the Volvo and was equally as nervous to handle the china that belonged to others.


Pamphlets were placed on the general tables, which were covered in burlap for a small town feel. Greenish mason jars filled with decorative stones and candles were the centerpieces for these tables.


Everything turned out so pretty. I was almost shocked by how good it looked. The event was held in the Rogers Center of the Presbyterian Church. It's a multipurpose building that also houses the youth department upstairs.


Everyone who came looked so nice too! Tiffany and Teresa are two of the sweetest people I know.


What would a local event be without Mayor Ronnie Marks and his lovely wife?


Our local culinary arts program graciously allowed us to borrow a few students to help with serving, keeping drinks refreshed, and cleaning the tables.


Elizabeth is a board member and good friends with Tiffany. Don't they look happy? :)


A lot of the downtown business owners were there including Josh from the Village Pizza that I am always tweeting about!


The Sweetest Things Tea Room catered the majority of the food. It was a hit!


Even a few local senators came out to the luncheon! Thank you Sentors Holtzclaw and Orr for attending. Also, Representative Williams was there.


This is the Todd family. I just love them to death! My mom taught Evan when he was in Kindergarten.


Trisha, the executive director, sat and worked while everyone behind her and beside her enjoyed the delicious food.


One of my favorite parts of the luncheon was the music! We were lucky enough to have two extremely talented men come and play during the event. Charles and Grant get two thumbs up! It added to the ambience of the whole lunch.



I cannot say enough lovely things about Trisha. She has a set number of hours she is supposed to work each week, but she goes above and beyond that time and time again. She attends every downtown function and helps plan the majority of them. Trisha is an outstanding executive director.


Overall, it was a huge success. The organization committee put in a lot of hours and sweat into making this happen.

Thank you Teresa, Lisa, Diane, Herson, Wyn, Trisha, and the countless others who made this such a special affair for so many.