🌱 Businesses Prepare For RBC Heritage + HHI Awarded Resilience Grant

Hello all. I'm back with your new copy of the Hilton Head Patch newsletter. Keep reading for the most important things happening these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Pleasant with plenty of sun. High: 74 Low: 56.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny and pleasant. High: 76 Low: 65.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Hilton Head who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top 3 stories in Hilton Head today:

1. Hilton Head businesses are preparing to meet the demands of a busy week as the RBC Heritage kicks off. Business owners in Hilton Head have been quite busy over the last weekend with Easter and the Masters landing up at the same time, and now the RBC has begun as well. Co-owner Maureen Robinson of the Island Fudge Shop says she and her husband have been more involved with the actual tournament event making baskets for all of the sponsors of the game. Frosty Frog Café has been busy over the weekend and will have its full staff working the whole week in preparation for the crowds with travelers taking vacations and the influx of people that are in town for the RBC. (WJCL News Savannah)
2. The town of Hilton Head has been awarded FEMA Program Grant for Resilience Planning. The Town will receive $56,250 to use toward its resilience planning, which is a process that communities can undertake to identify potential hazards, and then establish adaptation, mitigation, and recovery plans before a disaster has a chance of occurring. The focus for Hilton Head will be on climate adaptation and looking at how climate change impacts the island and investigating mitigation for rising sea levels. This grant will help make the town’s priority to have the first phase of an Island resilience plan in place by early 2024 a reality. (Hilton Head Island Government)
3. Hilton Head is listed as one of the hottest places for a second home, ranking in the top 10 for the last four years. Hilton Head ranked No. 10 this year in the top 10 places with the highest second home mortgage rate; this is a drop compared to last year when Hilton Head ranked number seven. While Hilton Head dropped on the list due to other locations heating up in the second home market, Hilton Head had an increase in the percentage of second home mortgages this year compared to last, increasing to 41 percent from 28 percent in 2022. This year, of the 9,043 approved mortgages, 3,734 were for second homes. Last year, of the 6,708 approved mortgages, 1,911 were for second homes. These numbers also show the continued growth of the metro area with more mortgages approved this year than last year. (The Island Packet via Yahoo News)

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Today and tomorrow in Hilton Head:

Wednesday, April 12

• RBC Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links (7:00 AM)

Thursday, April 13

• RBC Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links (7:20 AM)
• Music And Taste, Shelter Cove Harbour And Marina (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• "Pedal Hilton Head Island," a fundraising event for The Boys and Girls Club, will be taking place on May 7. The event will offer different bike route options from two-mile lengths for families to 62 miles in length. Participation in the bike ride will help benefit the organization's commitment to academic success through programming and opportunities made available with the funds from the ride. (Race Roster)
• Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue shared an infographic of statistics for the month of March. It details the number and type of calls made. (Hilton Head Fire Rescue)
• The 43rd Anniversary of Mayfest, coordinated by The Rotary Club of Bluffton, will be happening on May 13 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The event, just a short drive away from Hilton Head, will feature more than 130 artists and food vendors and is completely free for all those who want to attend. There will also be live music and various different contests happening at the event. (Bluffton Rotary Club)

You're all caught up for today! I'll be back in your inbox soon with another update.

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.