The summer started with a big bang for the Southeast Produce Council. The council continued its record of community outreach with an inaugural golf tournament that exceeded all expectations and delivered big to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The council raised $50,000 for the hospital’s ongoing efforts to help children with urgent care needs.

I can say with certainty that we could never have done this without the help of our industry partners, who helped us sponsor this event, and all our events, throughout the year. We had the retailer, foodservice and vendor communities come together to help in this cause, which made it a real success.

“We thought it was one of the best tournaments in the industry, and we look forward to doing it again next year,” said SPC President Andrew Scott, who noted that this golf tournament was being renamed the Terry Vorhees Charity Golf Classic, “for his vision and direction of the SPC since the council’s inception.”

“We thought it was one of the best tournaments in the industry, and we look forward to doing it again next year,” said Scott. “We are so happy that we could honor Terry for all his efforts and want to thank him for his service to the SPC. We wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

Scott went on to say, “The Southeast Produce Council continues to be the premier produce resource for the Southeast. We are constantly trying to find ways that we can help our communities through the promotion of fresh produce. We are also proud that we work with a number of organizations to help people in need as we educate them on the benefits of eating healthy.”

All of us at the council will now set our focus on the annual fall conference, to be held Sept. 25-28 at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, GA. The theme will be “The Hoedown, Touchdown, Throwdown in Brasstown,” according to David Sherrod, the council’s assistant executive director. This also will be the 15th anniversary since the council was founded, and we are expecting a record crowd this year. We have booked the entire property and have even reserved some rooms at a secondary resort. This will be a wonderful event, and I urge you to make your reservations as soon as possible.

As always, the fall conference will see the election of new officers and members of the board of directors for the upcoming term. The schedule of events will also include the Get Acquainted Hoedown Reception on Thursday night, Sept. 25, featuring the Shoal Creek Bluegrass Band. Friday will start with two educational workshops followed by the general session, where outgoing President Andrew Scott will give his State of the Council address.

This year’s keynote speaker will be John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves World Series champion and eight-time Major League Baseball All Star. We will also have Lucy Klausner from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta give us an update on how we are helping to fight childhood obesity in the southeastern United States.

On Friday afternoon, we will be introducing our newest program for industry women, called Southern Roots.

“We are so excited to debut our mentoring program during our fall conference,” said SPC Treasurer Teri Miller, who is chairing both Southern Roots and the fall conference. “This program is designed for women, by women, in the produce industry. We want to bring value to our council and to each other as we share with one another and grow from our experiences.”

The Throwdown President’s Dinner Dance will be held Friday night. DJ Elemental will be on hand with a video musical presentation with music for all ages.

Saturday morning will feature the annual Ken Lanhardt Memorial Golf Tournament. A shooting clays tournament at a local range also will be held. There will be a spouses tour that will visit a local winery and crafts from the area.

The Touchdown Tailgate Party will be held Saturday evening. “This event is always great as we all dress in our school colors to watch football, play various games and tailgate with our friends,” said Scott. “It is a great way to end our conference with some friendly competition.”

I urge anyone interested in attending our fall conference to contact Jennifer Pierce at our office in East Ellijay, GA. The phone number is 706/276-4025, and her email address is [email protected].

I look forward to seeing you at our fall conference!