Chris Brogan Challenge : A Community I Love

As I was sitting in a lonely hotel room, waiting for my husband to get out of work, I was searching the web for new ideas for my blog. During my search, I came across a guy named Chris Brogan, author of Social Media 101 and coauthor of Trust Agents. Mr. Brogan had made a list of 100 blog topics that he hoped “I” would write about. Many of his ideas fit me perfectly, while others I’m not really sure what they are. In all my boredom, I decided to challenge myself to write about all 100 of his topics. This won’t be easy, since some of the topics are a big question mark to me, but a little research never hurt anyone. Figuring in the fact that I don’t write real posts on the weekend, this challenge will be 100% successful if I complete it in 20 weeks. So let’s begin…Day Four – Topic Four(keeping up)!

Community is a perfect topic for this week’s celebration. Every year, our community celebrates the Apple Blossoms, by throwing a week long festival. The community comes together for dances, luncheons, a marathon, a carnival, a circus, and of course parades. There are so many activities that I don’t even know all of them yet. I’m fairly new to this area, but each year I learn of new activities that are mainly family oriented. I believe that this festival is not only a good way to bring the community together, but it is also a great place for local businesses and artists to make people aware of their products. This year’s Apple Blossom festival was kicked off with a wine tasting festival on the downtown walking mall. Different vineyards from around the area were there to showcase their wine. And to my kids’ delight, there was homemade kettle corn! And as if it couldn’t get any better, this year’s Grand Marshall is Val Kilmer. I imagine there will be more ladies buying front row seats to the main parade.

I am also proud of how much our community gives back. There are many various charitable groups that make a big difference right here in our own backyard. I have been fortunate enough to participate with several of these groups. Last year I was a part of an all woman’s build with Habitat for Humanity. With the help of some trusty contractors, we were able to build a home for a single mom working hard to give her daughter a better life. For the last few years, I was also able to help the Salvations Army soup kitchen my donating and cooking meals for the homeless. Currently, my friends and I are working to raise money for cancer research with Relay for Life. Although our group is small, the community as a whole has already raised about $73,000! Talk about making a difference! What do you love about your community? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!