Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

105 www.SeasideFarmsHomes.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com real estate best of mount pl as nt stragglers found their way to their cars, hundreds of winners, guests and East Cooper folks who just wanted to be in on the fun had a fantastic evening. Hearty food, an appealing array of beverages, light snacks and a full-on oyster roast offered a cornucopia of sustenance. Attractions ranging from agile acrobats to a free photo booth to a crowd-pleasing DJ kept the evening’s tempo at a soaring level as winners from a wide variety of businesses met up, often for the first time, exchanging both business cards and comments about how they felt to be among the chosen few. One of those businesspeople was Benjamin Toy of Nature Adventures Outfitters. “It’s a great night,” he said. “Lots of entertainment. Plenty of terrific food. And we’re meeting or reconnecting with so many wonderful people who have been voted by our local friends and neighbors as the ‘best of the best’ in Mount Pleasant.” Sarah Bodkin of The Vision Center at Seaside Farms felt that “this party is fabulous. I love the idea of a readers’ choice for the best of Mount Pleasant.” With a knowing smile she added, “I’m one of the winners, so maybe I’m a little biased!” Paige Kesler, director of community outreach for repeat winner Franke at Seaside, felt confident that “We’ll continue to be a winner year after year because we offer the best assisted living. And we’ll look forward every year to coming back to this wonderful party for the food, company and entertainment.” Divorce Coach Debbie Martinez, a relative newcomer to the Lowcountry, offered, “I really like the idea of a readers’ poll, especially for someone like me who has been here for only a few years. It really helps me find the places to go to in Mount Pleasant for all my needs.” The winner in the hotly-contested Best Florist category, Christy Collins of CC Bloom, observed, “This Best Of party is great. It’s a wonderful way to get information out to the public on a wide variety of businesses and give them exposure, which is what has happened to us. Our win was very humbling and a real surprise, so we’re very grateful.” (For readers musing over how her business got its interesting name, the “CC” references her initials and the full name, CC Bloom, is a call-out to a character in the popular Bette Midler motion picture, “Beaches.”) Lowe’s at Towne Centre was edged out by Royall Ace Hardware in the Best Hardware category. Nonetheless, Loss Prevention Manager Jeremiah Villavicencio was on hand to celebrate the occasion. “I’m having a great time,” he said, heading for the sumptuous array of dining selections provided by Top Shelf Catering. “This is a terrific event!” Not all the party-goers were Best Of winners or even runners-up. A trio of enthusiastic women bellying up to the oyster bar were among those who had paid their own