Community
Tailgating For Charity
Published
2 years agoon
PCBA revises its football themed annual fundraiser for three local charities.
Following up with its success of last year’s inaugural event, Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) will once again use the tailgating theme for its annual fundraiser. The PCBA Tailgates & Touchdowns Annual Charity Party will take place 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 24 at Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners.
Similar to the previous year, guests are encouraged to wear attire celebrating their favorite college and professional football teams. It was no surprise that a lot of UGA, Georgia Tech and Falcons gear was on display last year.
Additionally, there will be business networking, a silent auction where participants do not need to be present to bid, a live auction, music entertainment, tailgating cuisine and vendor tables. The important part of the evening, and the reason for the party, is raising money to support local charities.
“Last year, based on the generosity of our sponsors, members and community support, we were able to award a check for $4,000 each to our three charities. These three checks were the largest checks the PCBA has been able to donate based on the net proceeds of the event — a total of $12,000 in net proceeds,” said PCBA President Lisa Proctor.
By the end of July 2023, the PCBA had donated in excess of $134,000 and awarded 17 scholarships in the last 11 years.
“All of the money we have donated comes from a portion of our membership dues, annual sponsorships and the net proceeds from our annual charity event. Since we do not have any paid employees and are a volunteer organization, we are able to give more back to the community and those in need,” said Proctor.
“This year, we are hoping to meet and exceed our 2022 charity event proceeds, but we still need a few more sponsors and donors to get there. The checks for the three charities for this year will be awarded in October, November and December, so we can make sure each of the three charities is provided recognition and time to talk about their charity.”
Sponsors still needed
Proctor added that there is still time to provide sponsorship.
“If we can drive turnout for the event and get more people involved in donating and bidding on silent auction items, we should be able to hit a strong showing,” Proctor said. “Community engagement always has a powerful impact on our event.”
Proctor stressed that participants don’t have to wait for the tailgate party to secure auction items. “If someone sees an item that they’d like now, instead of waiting for the auction, they can see if it has a “buy now” option,” said Proctor.
For example, the DynaTrap ½ Acre Mosquito & Insect Trap might be an item that someone would like to put into use now. So, instead of waiting until August 24, they can purchase it and have a month of use before the auction takes place.
Proctor added that a charity auction isn’t necessarily a place for bargain hunters even though good buys exist.
“We’re hoping to raise the most we can for the people in our community that need it the most,” she said. “Through the generosity of sponsors, members, donations, etc., we’re making a difference.”
Charities benefitting from fundraiser
The three charities that will benefit from the fundraiser have already been announced.
“We are focusing our fundraising efforts on health, education, providing food, necessities and community assistance to these three charities,” said Proctor.
Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett offer general medical and dental services for the poor and uninsured, according to its literature. It aims to meet the physical, mental and spiritual needs of patients by:
- Providing quality low-cost primary healthcare and dental services to the uninsured to eliminate health disparities for poor and uninsured populations.
- Decreasing the demand of the uninsured for non-emergent medical services on the emergency room to help reduce the cost of indigent care on the public healthcare delivery system.
- Providing a venue for matriculating future medical professionals to advance their educational goals while serving the poor of our community to help disadvantaged students prepare for employment in the health and dental fields.
Rainbow Village programs focus on building self-sufficiency. The organization strives to turn the tide on homelessness.
It is a traumatic event and healing requires both guidance and time. Rainbow Village programs are each tailored to meet the needs of residents throughout their journey, according to its literature.
- The ASPIRE program provides safe, stable housing for families experiencing homelessness for up to two years.
- The THRIVE Alumni Program provides an additional three years of support to families after completing the ASPIRE program.
- The ACADEMY Academic Enrichment and Afterschool program provides support for children of ASPIRE and THRIVE participants.
Corners Outreach offers three paths to impact its community — volunteering, donating and becoming a customer. All three paths change lives, according to its literature.
These paths are accomplished through:
- Corners Academy (early learning, elementary tutoring, teen development);
- Workforce Development (basic needs, life skills, job skills, educational advancement);
- Family Engagement (adult workshops, food assistance, health services); and
- Corners Industries & Staffing (sustainable living wage and career advancement certification).
PCBA Tailgates & Touchdowns Charity Party
Thursday, August 24
5:30-8 p.m.
Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners
475 Technology Pkwy., Peachtree Corners
Visit peachtreecornersba.com for more info.
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Arlinda Smith Broady is part of the Boomerang Generation of Blacks that moved back to the South after their ancestors moved North. With approximately three decades of journalism experience (she doesn't look it), she's worked in tiny, minority-based newsrooms to major metropolitans. At every endeavor she brings professionalism, passion, pluck, and the desire to spread the news to the people.
Community
PCBA Accepting Scholarship Applications for Class of 2025 Seniors
Published
4 days agoon
February 14, 2025The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) continues their philanthropic work with an annual scholarship opportunity for local high school seniors who demonstrate community spirit and initiative and meet the requirements. The scholarship program was established to raise awareness among high school students of the need to give back to the local community and their school.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 Student Scholarship Program. The PCBA will award one $1,000 scholarship to a deserving graduating high school senior.
Students are invited to apply now by completing the scholarship application. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2025.
Application details
Applications should be emailed to scholarship@peachtreecornersba.com.
Sealed transcripts may be sent to the PCBA office at
4989 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 200
Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
Click here for the current scholarship application for eligible graduating seniors.
Qualifications include:
Must be a graduating senior & meet at least one of the following to qualify:
– Resident of Peachtree Corners
– Senior at Norcross HS, Wesleyan HS, Paul Duke HS, or Duluth HS
– Child of PCBA member
Applications must include the application form, a copy of the student’s sealed or official transcript showing cumulative GPA and an essay of 500 words or less describing why you are the best candidate for the scholarship, including three (3) things you’ve learned that you believe will help you in the future.
A separate page listing any of the following the student has been associated with, along with a brief description of your involvement is also required:
- School organization affiliation
- Sports affiliation and extra-curricular activities
- Areas of community involvement
- Personal time donated to charitable/humanitarian causes
- Activities completed or participated in to support the community, healthcare workers, first responders and others.
“The PCBA is proud to continue this scholarship opportunity, which recognizes local students who have positively impacted the community,” says Donna Linden, PCBA board member. “In previous years, we were impressed at the dedication to community service we saw from applicants. We look forward to honoring the deserving student who receives this scholarship.”
Funds for the scholarships are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorship and the organization’s annual charity event.
For questions regarding the scholarship program, please email scholarship@peachtreecornersba.com.
Related
If you drive a ‘Little Deuce Coup,’ a ‘Little Red Corvette’ or nothing at all, the Ride Lounge in Peachtree Corners may be the club for you.
If you’re someone who’s so fascinated with automobiles that casual conversations often turn into treatises about torque, transmission overdrive, throttle linkage and tread squirm, the Ride Lounge, set to open this year in Peachtree Corners, might be your utopia.
Founders Dave Codrea and Josh Friedensohn have envisioned the spot as a unique car storage facility and social club designed for car enthusiasts and their families.
Once complete, the 18,000-square-foot building will have indoor storage for about 65 cars as well as lounge areas, a conference room/presentation area for members to do group events, a car detailing area and a bar.
“There will be plenty of room for social events and stuff,” said Codrea.
Pre-opening fundraiser
Even though the establishment’s interior wasn’t completed at the time, the guys kicked off the first weekend in February with the first charity fundraiser of many to come. Pedal Fest took place on Saturday, February 1, with proceeds going to the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation.
Teams of three competed in pedal-powered drift trike races around a track set up in the parking lot.
“This is the kind of family-friendly stuff we like to do,” said Codrea. “We’ll probably have about one event a week — mostly related to different car events.”
The concept behind the Ride Lounge is more than just your old man’s garage. According to design firm Archie Bolden, the club will have “strategically integrated focal lighting throughout to enhance specific areas and create captivating visual focal points that invite visitors to explore highlighted zones or admire showcased feature cars.”
The look is described as masculine luxe with industrial accents.
Just a couple of gearheads
Codrea and Friedensohn don’t have anything to do with autos in their day jobs. They are partners in Greenleaf, a real estate company that buys, rehabilitates and manages long-term low-income residential properties and small business commercial properties to provide advancement opportunities for its residents, tenants, investors and communities.
“I started getting into cars when I was about 13 or 14 years old and as a little boy growing up with Hot Wheels,” Codrea said. “I got my first car, and I always enjoyed working on it. I took the whole engine apart and put in a turbo system. I’ve always loved cars.”
And he’s come across other “gearheads” who like to talk about cars, hang out around cars and work on cars as well.
So why a car club?
“You can do whatever you want to do with cars and it doesn’t matter what kind of car you have as long as it’s something you’re passionate about and like talking about it with other car people,” he said. “It’s a really good way to bring people together.”
Why here?
“That’s easy. I live in Peachtree Corners and I like it,” he said.
Building community
Codrea added that there’s so much diversity and growth that it’s kind of a no-brainer that there are many people who’d gravitate to the concept.
“Atlanta is a big city, but that also means there’s all sorts of interest in a lot of little segments,” he said. “You know what’s out there in cars and there’s definitely interest. As the area grows, we’re trying to bring people that like cars and their kids and families together.”
The storage spaces will allow owners to keep their prize possessions out of the elements or out the home garage in an environmentally-controlled area. But owning a car is not a requirement for membership in the club. There’s a level for just communing with like-minded individuals.
With so many “reality” shows based on restoration and enhancement, there’s no doubt that the interest is there. There’s a big screen ready for 24 hours of Le Mans, F1 races and anything else with a motor.
It looks like those with a passion for automotive performance have found their tribe.
To learn more about Ride Lounge or for early member access, visit ride-lounge.com.
Related
Local small business owner has found a way to keep mosquitos at bay with natural remedies
Geoff Krstovic, a former firefighter, transitioned into the mosquito control business after a divorce, driven by the desire for flexible work.
“Nobody ever thinks they’re going to be into bugs and chemistry when they grow up,” he said. “It’s not like, ‘I want to be a firefighter. I want to be an astronaut.’ Nobody thinks that they want to go out there whacking bugs or says, ‘I want to be in pest control.’”
But as he progressed in his new career, Krstovic took an interest in how to get rid of pests without using harsh, man-made chemicals.
“The more certifications, the more promotions and everything that I got, [and] the more entomology classes I started taking, … I really started to realize what we were putting out into the environment,” he said.
“I spend 90% of my time outside, and I see so much wildlife. So, when I would see a deer eating a leaf or a rabbit run out of bushes that I just treated, it really made me start to think about the effects of what we were doing to them.”
Not to mention pollinators like bees and butterflies.
“When I [would finish a treatment], I’d look back at the yard and everything that I’d seen flying around was just gone,” he said.
As a parent and a pet owner, he knew there had to be a better way to get rid of pests but still safeguard ourselves and the animals around us.
With a growing concern for the environmental impact, he developed a natural mosquito treatment system. The company he was working for wasn’t interested in his new product, so he started his own business.
Road to pest control
Krstovic graduated from Georgia State with a major in English. He joked that many of his contemporaries in the field have similar backgrounds.
“There’s an ongoing joke in the pest community where it’s like … what do you go to college [for] to be a pest [control] owner? Well, you major in liberal arts, English or writers’ composition,” he said.
“A lot of the other owners I met had the same degrees. A big part of it is that creativity aspect, and in pest control, you’re allowed to think outside the box, and you’re allowed to adjust and adapt to what you’re seeing and use different methods.”
That desire to do things differently led him to find a way to help keep people safe from West Nile, Zika virus and Eastern equine encephalitis while they enjoyed time outdoors.
With a lot of research and a little help from relatives with backgrounds in chemistry and engineering, he came up with a formulation based on using essential oils.
The dangers of mosquitos
“After you meet your first client that tells you about their experience just walking to a mailbox and they get West Nile, it changes your perspective 100%,” Krstovic said, “because you’re not just out there killing bugs, you’re out there protecting people and their families.”
Mosquitos are often called the most dangerous animal on earth, with the diseases they spread killing over a million people annually according to statistics from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control.
While the more serious mosquito diseases don’t pose the greatest risk to most communities, there are common ailments that can show up in people and pets, including bites that get infected and heartworm in dogs.
Reaching out to the community
Though people were a little skeptical about Krstovic’s natural pest control methods at first, Erin Rhatigan decided to give it a try.
“Geoff cold-called our house in 2021 and revealed that he actually grew up in the house next door,” she said. “He really wanted to return to his roots and offer his services.”
Rhatigan has three young children, and with her home being situated on the Chattahoochee River, the outdoor areas are beautiful, but also plagued by a lot of mosquitos.
“We’re very focused on spending time outside, and our kids are very, very active, so they’re outside a lot,” she said.
But Rhatigan and her kids are also very sensitive to mosquito bites, and the spraying services she tried year after year weren’t satisfactory.
“I had gone through every franchise. I had used the large companies every season. I was switching because it seemed like it would be effective at the beginning, and then it would lose effectiveness,” she said.
She was also concerned about the toxicity of the chemicals being used.
“I felt like using toxic chemicals on our property was not only bad for our family, but because we are on the river, we’re kind of a steward to the environment as well, … so when he mentioned that the product that he uses to control the mosquitoes was eco-friendly, I was happy to try it,” she shared.
Local solution gets a local investor
The treatment was so effective that Rhatigan isn’t just a customer, she and her husband decided to invest in the business.
“It was better than anything I had used for the previous 10 years,” she said. “The amazing thing is that when he sprays the property, you have this effervescence of the essential oils in the air.”
She recommended Geo Mosquito to everyone who’d listen to her, and eventually Krstovic took over maintaining the facilities at Rhatigan’s community pool.
“[What he was doing] kind of piqued my husband’s and my interest because we were looking for a small business to invest in locally,” she said. “I’m now home with the kids, but I have a long career in sales, and my husband is in sales as well.”
Within a year, the couple became active investors.
“We love the origin story of this relationship because it’s reflective of how friendly and supportive the local business community is in Peachtree Corners,” she said.
Caring about the work
Krstovic attributes his success to caring about the work, attention to detail and understanding client needs. He doesn’t just spray the yard and leave; he has a system of mapping out problem areas and educating clients about prevention.
“We’re looking at anything that could hold a water source and eliminating that, asking our clients what time of the day they’re getting eaten up, what part of their body and what part of their yard,” he said.
“That helps us figure out the species of mosquito that’s attacking them, so we know where to target, because different species have different nesting sites.”
Growing the business
Geo Mosquito has begun working with Vox-pop-uli to upgrade their logo, website and promotional materials.
“Geoff is a typical entrepreneur — protective of what he’s doing,” Rhatigan said. “So going through the steps of changing the logo, coming up with a new tagline, starting to do some marketing, is both exciting and a little scary.”
But the team at Vox-pop-uli has been a tremendous resource — helping them go at their own pace.
“This first year of investment was about seeing what the market interest is and expanding brand awareness,” said Rhatigan. “Vox-pop-uli offers so many services, it’s daunting for an emerging company to manage so many different contractors: creative, graphic design, printing, mailing. But they have a great, responsive organization that has been very helpful.”
Next steps
With a proprietary formulation for the mosquito abatement, Geo Mosquito wants to bottle the solution and sell it nationally.
Additionally, in 2025, the company plans to expand into ecofriendly pest control services for inside the home. They are also interested in working with local municipalities, churches and schools to expand their mosquito control services.
The Local Thread: This business profile series is proudly supported by Vox-pop-uli, championing local stories and the communities we serve.
This article is also available in the print and digital edition of the Jan/Feb issue of Southwest Gwinnett magazine.
Photos courtesy of Geo Mosquito.
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