For  Molly Sims, saying thank you to the Chapin community is part of who she is. She’s been involved for years in a number of activities that have helped others, whether she’s supporting Palmetto Health’s Children’s Hospital through the Children’s Miracle Network or raising money to help breast cancer patients or supporting collections for Chapin’s GOoD Works.

So it’s no surprise that Molly and her business partner Gina Breland, co-owners of Chapin’s RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants, are once again hosting their second annual Residential Recycling Day on Saturday, March 23 from 10am to 1 pm. The event will take place in the RE/MAX office parking lot, 1303 Chapin Road, and it’s free to Chapin residents.

Did you know 2,200 people die every day in the U.S. from heart diesease? In South Carolina, one of every three deaths can be attributed to cardiovascular disease. Needless to say, we all have been impacted by heart disease in one way or another. Won’t you help make a difference by choosing a heathier lifestyle that includes regular fitness and a low-fat diet rich in vegetables and fruits?

This Friday is National Wear Red Day for the American Heart Association. You can help serve as a Heart Hero by wearing RED on Friday to remind those around you, whether they are loved ones, co-workers, neighbors or just people you come across in your daily routine to make better lifestyle choices to improve their heart health.

Lexington Medical Center is also leading the charge to promote Heart Health by giving businesses and organizations resources they can use as part of their own campaign – the Midlands Goes Red! Visit midlandsgoesred.com to get a store front kit that includes a window decal, buttons for your employees, giveaways and educational information about heart disease. And the best part is the program is FREE!

And of course, many businesses and individual’s in Chapin are supporting Moms with Heart, a Chapin community team that is raising money and awareness on pediatric heart research and programs as part of the Midlands Heart Walk on Saturday, March 23 at the Colonial Life Arena. When you click on the walk page link, you can find Moms with Heart under community teams. Join me as part of the Chapin team and help raise money to support vital programs and research that saves lives!

The Chapin Chamber is also selling Red Paper Hearts for the walk. You can stop by and purchase a heart in honor of someone you know or love for just $1 as we work to cover the Chamber in hearts. Contact the Chamber for more info at 345-1100.

Send me your Wear Red Photos and I will post them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! And thanks for making a difference to save lives!

I always enjoy trying new things in Chapin, and when George and Cliff from Ego Boost Salon talked about wanting to try something different for their salon’s one-year anniversary, my wheels started spinning to see what we could come up with. They talked about doing something like Project Runway… but I knew in January/February the weather could be damp and cold and not ideal for an outdoor occasion.

“What about doing some makeovers – like you see all over cable?” I asked. Well what was I thinking they asked. I hate to admit it but I can easily get swept up with “What Not To Wear” and “How do I Look?” shows. “What if we get people to nominate their friends, spouses, teachers or neighbors to come in for a day of beauty and pampering?” They liked it and so here we are!

Ego Boost is looking to find six good candidates that can come into their salon on Saturday, February 2, and these ladies will receive a beauty makeover designed to give them the boost of confidence they may need for a new year. The Ego Boost stylists and support team will work with each person to give a new cut and hairstyle, provide a full make-up consultation and have their nails done, too. The team will take Before and After photos of each makeover contestant, and Chapin area residents can vote online via Facebook or in person at the salon (504 B Old Lexington Hwy.) The winner will receive a Valentine’s Delight package that will include an evening out on the town as well as a variety of beauty products and services. Not bad, eh? Accept Chat Gal is ineligible – wahhh!

But I’m sure you may know someone who deserves to be perked up with a little makeover, don’t you? All that’s needed is the person’s name and a contact number for George can call her if she’s one of the selected ladies, and a brief description (200 words or less please!) of why this special person should be selected. Maybe she gives so much time as a mom that she doesn’t take the time to take care of herself? Maybe she’s had a rough patch with work or personal relationships and needs a new look to move to a new chapter in life?  Or maybe that 1980s vintage hair cut just ain’t cutting it anymore! Be creative, be fun and be nominating some folks so Ego Boost can showcase their talents and make some deserving people feel great about themselves!

Questions? Call George or Cliff at 941-7115 for more details on the contests, specials that will be available to visitors to the salon on February 2 and the Valentine’s Grand Prize package.

The folks at Vella’s have another great community event planned for Saturday, December 15 from 11 am until 2 pm — Fun Day with Santa! They will be decorating the area outside of their patio as a Winter Wonderland and have all sorts of great food and family-fun activities happening to help raise money for a worthwhile cause, the Dickerson Center.

Cletus and the crew will be cooking up oysters, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs and chili to help get you in the holiday spirit. Santa will be on hand for pictures with the nice boys and girls for $5 a picture. They will have a number of fun activities and games, such as a station for making Christmas cards for our troops serving abroad, a decorate your own sugar cookie station, face painting, bubble station, sidewalk chalk area, and for the really coordinated folks, there will be corn hole games set up! I bet my friend Fiona won’t be able to resist that — she loves to play corn hole. Almost as much as I enjoy beating her in it! But I digress…

Brooks says they are working on some live entertainment, too. Like games and food aren’t enough. So stay tuned to Vella’s Facebook page and Chapin Chatter for more details on that!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Dickerson Center, an accredited Child Advocacy Center in the Midlands. They assist children who may have been exposed to violent crime with counseling and other services. They work to help social services officials prevent child abuse and neglect and provide healing to patients impacted by abuse, trauma and neglect. It’s a shame such a place needs to exist but I’m glad we have that resource available for residents in Lexington and Richland counties.

So come out and have some fun, eat some food and help a deserving organization next Saturday at Vella’s. Tell Cletus you heard about it on Chapin Chatter!

Tonight at 6 pm, Elizabeth Taylor will share the Strategic Master Plan for ICRC at a public meeting at Crooked Creek Park. The commission has been actively engaged in looking  at growth in the area and compiling community needs to create a vision for their facilities and operations for the next 10 years. If you live in the Chapin, Irmo and surrounding areas, I would highly recommend you come out and see what they are recommending to provide vital recreational and other programming opportunities to our community!

The mission of the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of the district through the development of recreation programs and facilities that promote a lifestyle of wellness, physical activities and cultural experiences for all ages. I can tell you that since I moved to Chapin, ICRC, and Crooked Creek in particular, has been an invaluable resource for me and my family. From Afternoon Safari to rec sports teams to personal fitness and as a host for meeting space, I have used many of the services provided at and through the park. We had nothing close to the caliber of CCP in Columbia where I used to live. It’s so convenient to have all these activities and programs centrally located and in an attractive, clean facility that is safe and secure!