Want to know what's up in the Beaches of South Walton, in the Panhandle of Florida? You've come to the right place. We cover it all - Events, Dining, News, Real Estate, Photos, Area Info ...and everything in between. We're hyperlocal. We inform, educate & entertain. We update daily.
This weekend, several Walton County Sheriff’s Deputies’ volunteered their time by going to elderly residents’ homes and dropping off Christmas presents. Mike and Amanda Parrott of DeFuniak Springs patterned “Santa for Seniors” after a similar project based in Dothan, Alabama.
The Walton County Council on Aging helped provide a list of elderly in need of basic necessities’ like food and warm clothing. Mrs. Parrott then went to individuals and businesses, and got them to adopt a senior in need of help. In this the first year, Mike and Amanda were able to provide gifts for 30 seniors mainly in the Freeport and DeFuniak Springs area. They hope to do even better next year.
Mrs. Parrott says, “Hard times haven’t put a dent in the generosity of Walton County. During some of the toughest economic times since the Great Depression, local residents came through”. National statistics indicate that the recession has hit seniors the hardest, and that many of them have incomes of less than six-hundred dollars per month. The majority of the request lists included items like blankets, slippers, and nightgowns. Mrs. Parrott says “these folks are not asking for high ticket items, but just asking for the basics”.
The couple says “the efforts of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office to help deliver gifts to many of these elderly folks who are invalids, shut-ins’, or simply don’t have a vehicle proved extremely valuable.” One woman reportedly had no furniture in her tiny apartment, but a small Christmas tree in the middle of the floor. Thanks to “Santa for Seniors”; she now has several gifts to go underneath the tree.
[Picture: Mike and Amanda Parrott ready to deliver Christmas gifts to an elderly shut-ins’ home; Amanda Parrott delivers gifts to Elizabeth Gee of DeFuniak Springs.]
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■■ 750 needy children receive coats for Christmas >>
■■ Highway 98 lives up to its bloody reputation in 2009 >>
■■ Walton in the shade >>
■■ Air Travel Woes >>
■■ Airmen return home in time for holidays >>
■■ South Walton Fire District to Provide “Home for the Holidays” Service >>
■■ Missing elderly woman found >>
■■ Boat parade lights up Destin harbor >>
■■ Lawsuit questions Walton County’s public records compliance >>
■■ Walton Extension Coastal Branch opening >>
■■ Rivers still above flood stage >>
■■ New South Walton business brings out ‘the kid in everyone' >>
■■ EMS to give patients Christmas day rides to their families' home >>
■■ Feds take over Peoples First Community Bank >>
■■ A deputy in green: Walton’s new environmental deputy sits down with The Sun >>
■■ Man and woman both die crossing highways hours apart >>
■■ ECAR: Market shows no signs of slowing in November >>
■■ A pearl of a project: Oyster reef built at Cessna Landing in Santa Rosa Beach helps prevent erosion >>
Wondering where the big bashes are on New Year's Eve 2009 in South Walton? Here is a list of the par-tays to hit on the 31st.
New Year's Eve 2009 Special Events
New Year's Eve Dining
[UPDATED Dec. 22, 2009 - Check back in as we will continue to update this list!]
Looking for things to do this week? Catch some music? Outdoor activities? Yoga and fitness classes? We sort through all the information for you so you can easily and quickly plan your week - and get outside to enjoy paradise! Here are this week's Hip Happening Highlights. And be sure to check out the Hip Happening Event Calendar for the full skinny on what's happening in town.
Seven Days - Event Highlights & To Do's this week .......
►MONDAY, December 21
OPEN DAILY Ice Skating at Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin. Hours of operation: Monday-Friday 4-10pm, Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 12-6p. For those visitors who miss the cold and ice, the ice skating rink at The Village of Baytowne Wharf is the perfect opportunity to get into the winter spirit. The seasonal ice skating rink has become a local holiday favorite. For just $8 guests can skate the night away. Questions? (850) 267-8117. BaytowneWharf.com
Check out these neat videos taken by locals and visitors enjoying our slice of paradise:
On Link ♥, we celebrate those who have embraced the potential and
power of the Internet, social networking, and social media. Here you'll find
links to websites, blogs, and other online spaces owned and operated by
locals and local businesses up and down the Emerald Coast.
♥ Seaside Florida Real Estate News Blog "For people who own or are thinking of owning Seaside Florida real estate"
♥ Jerryeyler's Weblog Covering Panama City Beach, Florida
