At this time of Thanksgiving, we encourage you to remember the organizations in the Scenic 98 Coastal communities that are making a difference and serve as the glue that holds our towns and neighborhoods together.

You may have read about John Shell, the Junior at St. Paul’s High School in Mobile who came up with a brilliant yet aggressive undertaking to earn his Eagle Scout badge. It’s a story that inspires, especially if you love and cherish the waters surrounding the Scenic 98 Coastal area.

What’s in the water in Pensacola causing a revitalization as I have never seen? I had an inkling of what the catalyst was and set out to find it. I started on Palafox Street where we often go to the Saturday market to eat and shop with all the other happy people and dogs.

Ten years ago, a small group of young, professional, enterprising men and women from both sides of the Bay and all walks of life came together to create an organization. Their goal was to make a difference in the lives of young people, to level the playing field so to speak.

Tom and Carol Patterson are passionate sailors. In fact, Tom, and his son, Peter began a voyage to sail around the world in 2001.

While the Director of the Mobile-area YMCA’s special populations program, Susie Foster wanted to give her participants in the program opportunities and experiences outside of the “white coat” environment.

In September 2020, Hurricane Sally, followed a month later by Hurricane Zeta, aimed at the iconic American Legion Post 199 in Fairhope, Alabama.