Elaine Rosenthal and Terry Kemp man the SGI Booth at the Scallop Festival.

The St. George Island Visitor Center and Lighthouse Museum for the first time had a display booth at the annual Scallop Festival in Port St. Joe.  Visitor Center Executive Director Elaine Rosenthal and SGLA Secretary Terry Kemp talked with hundreds of festival-goers about St. George Island and the lighthouse.

The display, dominated by a dramatic photograph of the Cape St. George Light, highlights activities that make St. George Island "more than a beautiful beach."  Featured are photographs of boating, fishing, kayaking, bicycling, camping, birding, and photography.

The portable booth was funded with money from the Florida Governor's Office, earmarked for promotion of the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.  Even though Franklin County has been unaffected by the spill, the Tourist Development Council shared in the award and allocated a portion of the funds to the three visitor centers in the County.

Both Elaine and Terry were amazed at the number of people who were unfamiliar with St. George Island, even though we are only a 45-minute drive from Port St. Joe.  Handing out hundreds of brochures and inviting festival attendees to visit the island made the day worthwhile, in spite of the almost unbearable heat and humidity which have been a constant for the summer of 2010!