Travel during the pandemic/endemic “COVID Disruption” is an ever changing, ongoing story in and of itself. Not since WWII has the travel industry been impacted globally for such an extended period of time! It is easy to get caught up in our own frustrations and disappointments as trips continue to be moved, rebooked, or at a minimum affected by the day to day changes in both the Virus and each country’s or region’s reaction to each new phase. I am on several boards and committees that zoom with multiple countries and it is heart breaking to hear the stories of how lack of travel is affecting individuals in countries, cities, villages, camps around the world. And, not every country has government help available for those hardest hit. Still there are many good things coming from our enforced halt/slow down of travel. There have been many benefits to our planet and environment. We have learned many ways to travel more intentionally and more carefully.
Wallace Pierson Travel would love to invite you to two new, in person events in January and February where you can meet with some of our best travel companies and hear what they have been doing, are doing and expect to see happening in the next couple of years as we all try to get travel back on track in a meaningful, fulfilling way. We will have a panel of four expedition companies talking about travel to Antarctica on Jan 20, at 6:00 pm at Story and Song. Representatives from four of our favorite Antarctic companies, Lindblad Expeditions, Silversea Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions and Quark Expeditions, will discuss all aspects of travel to Antarctica and the sustainable practices being employed to protect this fragile environment while studying the sciences that are making this part of the world so important to us all. This event will be recorded, so if you are not able to join us, sign up for the recording to be emailed to you with in a few days of the event. To RSVP email ange@wallacepierson.com with the number in your party or the word “recording” and we will respond accordingly. This event is complimentary and includes refreshments by Story and Song. Then on February 3, 5:00 at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, we will hold our Test Drive the World Travel Show with 24 travel companies available to answer all your travel questions- even some you may not know to ask! The Travel Show doubles as a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Nassau County with a $20 per person given directly to the B&G Clubs for entry to the event. Please click on the link here to learn more and to RSVP.
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 Let's begin the new year by helping to save lives... come by the Rayonier building to donate blood on Wednesday, January 19th. You can still help even if you can't donate yourself, share this message with friends and family.
Make your appointment today, click on the link: Blood Drive - January 19, 2022. While appointments aren't required, appointments get first priority. All donors will receive a OneBlood Long Sleeve T-Shirt and a $20.00 eGift Card! Plus, a wellness checkup includes blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count, and cholesterol screening. Tips for a successful donation: Include red meat in your diet (2-3 meals), drink water regularly, and drink 16 oz before donating, eat a meal 2 hours before your donation. After donation: no heavy lifting or vigorous exercise the rest of the day, grab a healthy snack and drink plenty of water.
You are invited to Nassau County Council on Aging’s (NCCOA’s) Annual Meeting, on Tuesday, January 25, from 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., at the newly renovated Westside Senior Life Center, 37002 Ingham Road, in Hilliard.
Join us as we celebrate our 2021 accomplishments and share highlights of our 2022 programs and services. Please RSVP by Jan. 21, 904-261-0701. Light refreshments will be served; masks are required.  Fernandina Beach Main Street
Media Release January 10, 2022 Fernandina Beach Main Street will hold its 3rd Annual Sip and Shop on Friday, January 21st, from 4 to 7 PM. Kick off Winter Restaurant Week in downtown Fernandina Beach where more than 20 retail shops will remain open late and provide sips of wine to enjoy while shopping. Shoppers will receive a souvenir insulated Main Street wine cup with registration. Special thanks to our sponsor, First Port City Bank. Shoppers can check in at the Pocket Park next to Amelia Island Coffee on Centre Street to receive their wine cup, event map, and wristband beginning at 4PM. Participants must be at least 21 years of age and proof of age is required. Tickets are $20 when purchased in advance. Additional tickets can be purchased the day of the event at registration for a price of $25 each. This event will be held rain or shine. Main Street volunteers will assist in the shops during the event. To purchase tickets for Sip and Shop, please go to https://bit.ly/3pWximN. To become a volunteer for this event, please send an email to lisa@fernandinamainstreet.com. For up-to-date information on Sip and Shop happening in the Fernandina Beach Main Street District on January 21st, visit https://www.facebook.com/FernandinaMainStreet. Proceeds from this event support the preservation-based economic vitality programs of Fernandina Beach Main Street. *** Fernandina Beach Main Street is part of the National Main Street Program that includes more than 1,200 communities – large and small, rural and urban – in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The goal of the main street program is strengthening communities through preservation-based economic vitality in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. It is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Hagerty/Courtesy Deremer Studios Hagerty, which six months ago added the Amelia Island Concours to its growing portfolio, has announced that the annual Florida collector car event will henceforth be known as The Amelia. The rebranding includes a new logo, a reimagined schedule of events, and a recently launched website. Officials said the changes “are indicative of the event’s evolution—an effort to innovate while honoring tradition.” This year’s gathering, scheduled for March 3–6, will feature an all-new Cars & Community suite of events on Saturday. Activities include the well-established and renamed Cars & Caffeine, a 1980s and ’90s-focused RADwood display, the fun and low-brow Concours d’Lemons, and The Amelia’s first-ever Kids Zone. A portion of every Cars & Community ticket sold will support local and national charitable partners. Previous attendees can look forward to a fresh take on Saturday evening’s traditional Gala. Sunday’s concours showfield will continue to reflect automotive excellence, along with new family-friendly features and enhanced hospitality and dining options.  Hagerty/Courtesy Deremer Studios The Amelia’s new logo design showcases the event’s framed initials and represents Hagerty’s goal to save driving and car culture for future generations. “The Amelia is truly a motoring event like no other and we wanted a logo that reflected its strength and uniqueness,” says Tarra Warnes, Hagerty’s Vice President of Creative Strategy.  Hagerty Special concours classes at the 2022 event will include anniversary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Daytona (60th) and the 12 Hours of Sebring (70th), as well as the 75th anniversary of Ferrari, 100th anniversary of Lincoln, and the 90th anniversary of the 1932 Ford. Additional concours features will include the interesting vehicles of the Davis Motorcar Company, Indy roadsters, aluminum Porsche race cars, Waterhouse Coachwork, and more.
Tickets for the weekend events will go on sale later this month. Amelia Island Book Festival Press Release Submitted by Diana Frank Director of Communications January 3, 2022 For gala tickets click here The Amelia Island Book Festival returns February 18 and 19, 2022 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In the past 20 years, the AIBF has brought more than 1,500 authors and over 100 New York Times bestselling authors to the festival. The AIBF’s mission is to enhance the overall life skills of Nassau County children and adults by generating a lifelong love of books through an appreciation of reading, writing, and authors. It has invested over $2 million in Nassau County literacy.  Friday, February 18, 2022 — AIBF Gala 6 pm to 9 pm at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island
The Gala is the opening event to kick off the 2022 Amelia Island Book Festival. It will return in a hybridized version to adapt to precautions surrounding the Covid 19 pandemic. Tickets to the in-person celebratory event at the Ritz Carlton are now on sale and will be limited to 100. An affordable livestream ticket can be purchased to participate in this extraordinary Gala remotely. The in-person event will feature a cocktail hour and an opportunity to meet and mingle with celebrity authors. There will be a selection of delectable hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. The evening will continue with a live auction, author discussions, Q&A lead by New York Times best seller and honorary chair David Baldacci with a panel of bestselling authors including Mary Alice Monroe, Jennifer Niven and Jeannette Walls. Afterward, a distinctive dessert will be served along with coffee and beverages. A cash bar will be available. Finally, there will be a celebrity book signing presented by event partner, The Book Loft. For those preferring to participate remotely, the livestream will run live reports from the event during the in-person cocktail hour, the full program of the live auction with the option to bid, author discussions, Q&A, and special prerecorded videos and interviews. The cost for this version is $35. Tickets for both in-person and livestreaming can be purchased at ameliaislandbookfestival.org/gala/ticketing, and live auction items will be on the website. Friday, February 18 Authors in Schools Proceeds from the Gala benefit the primary goal of the AIBF, to promote literacy through the Authors in Schools program. From a selection of 30-40 authors, teachers choose the author’s books that would be age-appropriate for their classes. The authors selected visit classes to do a reading, then each student gets a book by that author. All Nassau County students through middle school will receive a book by authors selected by their teachers. This year, high school students who sign up will also receive books. To become a sponsor, visit ameliaislandbookfestival.org. The AIBF supports and encourages emerging student authors by providing a short story writing contest each year. Last year there were more than 200 submissions writing on the theme “The Unexpected Happening,” and 50 of the student essays are to be published in an anthology. Details for the 2022 short story writing contest are on the website. Saturday, February 19, 2022 — Author Expo 10 am to 4 pm at the Fernandina Beach Middle School This is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Amelia Island Book Festival’s Author Expo. Readers will be able to engage with more than 100 authors in a personal way about their work and what inspires them. You can purchase their books and have them signed. In addition to the exhibiting authors, there are scintillating breakout sessions where you will hear from New York Times best-selling authors: Jeannette Walls, Jennifer Niven, Angela May and David Baldacci. Thereafter, you can have those authors sign copies of their books in the gym. This year the Expo will also include author driven Teen/Tween sessions featuring Susan and Lexi Haas, The Buttered Cat and A. D. Williams and Kendal Fordham Cann, authors of Mansa’s Little Reminders. Students 10-18 years of age are invited, and prizes will be awarded. Authors will be available for book signing and answering questions. Visit ameliaislandbookfestival.org to pre-register. The Kidz’ Zone is available to keep the young ones engaged. This event offers unlimited opportunities to enrich your life with books in a fun loving, festive atmosphere. Short story writing contest and two $5,000 Scholarship- Program theme, criteria and applications are now available on the AIBF website.  Saturday, January 22nd, 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church
Amelia Island, FL -- The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival presents members of the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic on Saturday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, Amelia Island. For additional information and tickets visit AICMF.ORG. Founded in 1942 in the throes of WWII, the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic gave the first symphony concert in postwar Poland and has since become the largest music institution in eastern Poland. Embarking on a North American tour in 2022, the orchestra is joined by violinist Sara Dragan, the first prize winner of the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition and Tomasz Ritter, piano soloist, who in 2018 became the first prize winner of the First International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments in Warsaw. Members of the Philharmonic will perform under the baton of principal conductor Wojciech Rodek, as they are poised to dazzle Amelia Island audiences in their first performance at the Festival. The evening’s program includes Beethoven, Overture to Egmont, Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2, Wieniawski, Violin Concerto No. 2, Rossini, Overture to La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie). The Festival’s 21st Season Complete Lineup Includes:
For information and tickets visit: AICMF.ORG. About the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival is a not-for-profit, tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The office is located at 1405 Park Avenue, Suite 101, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034. For additional information, concert tickets, or to learn more about becoming involved visit www.aicmf.org or call 904.261.1779. Follow The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival on Facebook. The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It is registered with the State of Florida and is in good standing with regards to its Solicitation of Contributions registration (#CH19166). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA (800-435-7352), OR VIA THE INTERNET AT WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSMENT APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Fernandina Beach, FL - Nassau County Businesswomen are invited to join the Eight Flags Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) January 11th at 5:30 pm for a presentation entitled Reach to Retention; Create a Great Customer Experience. Starting at 5:30 pm at Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Bill Melton Road in Fernandina Beach, the chapter will host Tracey Phillips, Founder and CEO of Promotional Presence LLC. Her expertise is in helping businesses increase their brand awareness and grow their revenues. Phillips teaches that developing community relationships is the cornerstone of growing Promotional Presence. She will share how to develop these integral relationships by applying the new Reach to Retention Program™ and how this culture creates a foundation for success in business. This is a win-win program for both business and community. The Eight Flags Chapter President, Lillie Marie Rogers, shares an inspirational quote by Robert Louis Stevenson, “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." We will learn how to apply this in our businesses in January. The local ABWA chapter just celebrated its 52 year anniversary of helping women succeed in business in Nassau County. Each monthly meeting provides Professional Development speakers who impart the motivation and skills needed to create success in today’s business world. In addition, there is time to network with women from variety of businesses, skill sets, and experience. The organization meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm, beginning with networking, a light meal, and followed by a program starting at 6 pm. Please visit www.abwaeightflags.org to learn more and to register for the meeting. The mission of the American Businesswomen’s Association is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.  Tracey Phillips, Founder and CEO of Promotional Presence LLC  Amelia Island, FL — Renée Fleming, one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, renowned for her performances on the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls, is performing on Amelia Island on Friday January 14th. In addition, on January 13th Ms. Fleming will host Music & The Mind, an insightful discussion that explores the intersection of health and the arts. Ms. Fleming will take the stage in concert on Friday, January 14th at 7:30 p.m. at The First Baptist Church, Fernandina Beach. The Music and The Mind discussion (which is a free event but does require a reservation) is on Thursday, January 13th at 5 p.m. at the Courtyard/Springhill Suites, Amelia Island. For tickets and more information visit AICMF.org or call 904.261.1779.
MORE ABOUT RENÉE FLEMING Honored with four Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, Renée has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II. In 2014, she brought her voice to a vast new audience as the first classical artist ever to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl. In 2008 Renée was the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala. In October, Decca released Renée’s latest album, Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, with Yannick Nézet-Seguin as pianist. A collection of Romantic-era songs and specially commissioned world premieres, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and victim of human life. Renée has starred in and hosted an array of television broadcasts, including The Met: Live in HD and Live from Lincoln Center. During the pandemic, her performances on digital platforms included streamed concerts for the Metropolitan Opera, the Kennedy Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, Renée starred in the London premiere of The Light in the Piazza, later bringing the acclaimed production to Los Angeles and Chicago. Renée earned a Tony nomination for the 2018 Broadway production of Carousel. She is the Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center and the Advisor for Special Projects at the LA Opera. Renée also leads SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, and she is Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalArts. Her other awards include the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, and France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. For more information visit reneefleming.com. MORE ABOUT MUSIC AND THE MIND In 2016, Renée Fleming was appointed Artistic Advisor for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Seeking to champion the work being done nationally—both in the medical community and within the arts world—at the intersection of health and the arts, Renée has spearheaded the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and its largest health research institute, the National Institutes of Health. Inspired by this work, Renée has created a presentation called Music and the Mind, exploring the power of music as it relates to health and the brain. Topics include childhood development, music therapy, and cognitive neuroscience. Renée has presented Music and the Mind in more than 45 cities around the world, from Boston to Beijing, delivering the prestigious Compton Lecture at MIT, and earning Research America’s Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion. In 2020, Renée launched Music and Mind LIVE, a weekly web show exploring the connections between arts, human health, and the brain, amassing nearly 700,000 views from 70 countries. Guests included US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH, bestselling author Deepak Chopra, MD, and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. For the Amelia Island presentation, Ms. Fleming will be joined by Dr. Regis Haid, President of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, former Emory School of Medicine Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Nicolas Krawiecki, renowned interventional neuroradiologist, Dr. Ajay Wakhloo, and Olivia Hoblit, founder of the Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation. For more information visit: Music and The Mind. Nassau County Council on Aging Offers Stress-Busting Program for Caregivers in the New Year12/22/2021  Nassau County Council on Aging
Press Release By Liz Dunn December 21, 2021 Have you ever felt like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it all? Too many people need your time and energy, with only one of you to tend to all their needs? This is the daily life of many caregivers. The emotional stress and physical demands of competing responsibilities often cause caregivers to feel overwhelmed or depressed. Nassau County Council on Aging (NCCOA) can help with the popular Stress-Busting Program for Caregivers, a FREE 9-week evidence-based program developed by the University of Texas Health Science Center and WellMed Charitable Foundation. The program is held at the Janice Ancrum Senior Life Center, 1901 Island Walk Way, Fernandina Beach. Two series begin in January 2022, and we currently have openings:
Throughout the Stress-Busting Program, caregivers learn about stress and its effects, practice stress management techniques and develop problem-solving skills. A generous grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida allows NCCOA to provide this program, including material, free to caregivers. Space is limited. For more information and registration, contact Emily Kunzelmann, 904-775-5472 or ekunzelmann@nassaucountycoa.org. |
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961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G | Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 Phone: (904) 261-3248 | info@nassaucountyflchamber.com | site map |
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