Last night was a whirlwind of fun that left me completely breathless.  At the last minute, Brynn asked me to serve as her proxy and accompany Fitz for an evening at the Charles Morris Center to watch some of Savannah’s locally famous twist, twirl and tango across the dance floor.  And it was all for a good cause.

Local organization Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), took it to another level this year with Savannah’s first ever “Dancing with Savannah Stars.” A spin-off of the national phenomenon that is ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” CASA turned the Savannah fundraising paradigm on its head, approaching the often arduous task of asking for money from a different, fresher and decidedly more “active” perspective.

(having trouble viewing? Try the full sized slideshow.)

Eight recognizable Savannahians put their bodies to the test and their dignity on the line to raise money for children who need it most.  The line up was a start-studed one to be sure, including:

• Ice cream baron and blockbuster movie producer Stratton Leopold;
• CASA VP, Jeanne Seaver;
• SunTrust Savannah CEO, Kay Ford;
• GPA External Affairs Manager, Jamie McCurry;
• SCMPD Chief, Michael Berkow;

After many months of anticipation, deliberation and planning, we finally unveiled – to a large audience of esteemed colleagues and guests – the winners of the 2008 Innovation Awards, presented by Lott + Barber. (More pics coming.)

Despite the monsoon-like downpour, the turn-out was remarkable, bringing nearly 500 of Savannah’s finest creatives.  Astride organic and local surf and turf entrées, eco-friendly decor and lighting and a premiere video and slide display, we ushered in a new era of entrepreneurs and Savannah success stories.

The awards sculptures themselves were created by nationally recognized local artist Jerome Meadows – a true work of art to honor the accomplishments of the community innovators.

And the winners were (are)…

For Innovation Achievement in Education, congratulations to Savannah Technical College for their Cross-disciplinary Student-constructed Solar Generator and Photovoltaic Program.

“Innovation in what we do is so important and to get recognized for it is truly an honor. We’d like to thank Savannah Technical College for allowing the Industrial Technology department the freedom to put ideas into motion – as well as the entire IT department, without whom, the solar generator wouldn’t be a reality. This was really a team effort.”

And not a moment too soon. I, for one, have been biting my fingernails again – an old habit rekindled by the gnawing need to know who is among the top 3 in each category for the prize of the year, the Creative Coast Alliance Innovation Award, sponsored by Lott + Barber. If you are as impatient as I am, you’ll be pleased to know that our five esteemed judges have made their decisions.

It was no simple task, but our independent panel of local and regional judges toiled and labored for hours on end, tirelessly deliberating over nearly 100 Savannah innovators across six categories including Community, Emerging Business, Existing Business, Government, Education and Sustainability. Locked in a room like jurists in the O.J. trial, they fed, sleepless, on half-eaten donuts and stale coffee, muddling through piles of applications from top notch candidates in a brave attempt to narrow the competitive field.

Here are the quickdraws still standing when the dust cleared:

Emerging Business Category
Who: Farmer D Organics
What: A line of organic gardening products and consulting services to build organic community garden programs
What you should know if you only know one thing: Farmer D offers the first certified Biodynamic Compost on the market made from green waste from Whole Foods Market. Now, why didn’t I think of that?

To highlight the importance of this – the last day (we’ll actually give you until the end of tomorrow) to reserve your seats for the 2008 Innovation Awards (presented by Lott + Barber) at a discounted price, washed up rapper and celebrity Vanilla Ice has teamed up with TCCa to parody his 1991 one-hit-wonder “Ice, Ice Baby.”

If this doesn’t get you to order your early bird tickets, I don’t know what will. Hit it, Ice.

“Yo TCP/IP, let’s kick it

All right stop, collaborate and listen
Price is at a brand new edition
Sixty dollahs, don’t hold so tightly
Cuz with it you can play at our Innovation nightly…

Price, price baby – Sixty dollahs
Price, price baby – up 15 by end of tomorrah”

Take heed from this lyrical poet: the clock is ticking and time is running out for you to save 20% on this year’s Innovation Awards.  Up until COB tomorrow, $60 will reserve your seat at this year’s premiere event, complete with entertainment, cocktails, awards program and three-course meal catered by Cha Bella.  After the 1st, the price will raise to $75.