July 27, 2021
Our own Dave Echols gave us an update on the hometown River Dogs,
reflecting on the difficult year of dealing with both the pandemic and big changes in Major League’s Baseball’s relationship with its minor league teams. Despite the challenges, Dave is looking forward to playoff baseball at The Joe come September. Don’t forget our August social on the 26th at Saltwater Cowboys.
Dave Echols, President and General Manager of the Charleston RiverDogs spoke to us about how they have dealt with the challenges of running a minor league baseball team through the pandemic. Dave has been the RiverDog’s GM for almost 20 years and said he thought he had seen it all, but obviously the last 18 months have taught us all that there is more we need to learn and adapt to.
Even before COVID, minor league baseball was dealing with significant changes in its relationship with MLB. At the end of 2019, MLB announced they were not going to renegotiate the player development deal with the minor league and that they were just going to absorb them and take control. The RiverDogs and others were pushing back against this change and were making some progress but then the pandemic hit, and the debate became a backburner issue. MLB took advantage of this and dissolved the partnership. Minor leagues would continue to operate but MLB would determine affiliations, schedule and other “on the field” operations. For example, the RiverDogs are now affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays instead of the Yankees. That was determined by MLB instead of being negotiated between the teams as was done in the past.
The RiverDogs have a great partnership with the City of Charleston, which owns Joe Riley Park, and the Citadel, which shares use of the park. After MLB decided there would not be a season in 2020, the RiverDogs and the City continued to monitor the virus and but came to a decision that there would not be events at the ballpark and that was the case for 14 months. This was obviously a real challenge for a small business, but the RiverDogs took an approach based upon 3 tenets: be ready, stay positive, and focus on community outreach.
Although they were not sure when they would be able to pen the ballpark, the team wanted to make sure they would be ready. The RiverDogs were the first professional sports team to issue protocols for returning to ballparks. Those were picked up and copied by both major and minor league sports teams across the country.
Staying positive was difficult. Prior to COVID, the RiverDogs had 32-year-round employees. When MLB canceled the season, they were forced to reduce staff to 9. Those were some tough months. Currently, they are back to a staff of 16. The staff must keep up morale and do the work that was being done by the full staff. They also needed to keep reaching out to the community.
One of the biggest ways they were able to address this was with Chris Singleton. Dave said he is just an unbelievable individual. Under his leadership the RiverDogs hosted culinary camps, ran small camps in the ballpark, and offered “To go from the Joe” food pickup and delivery from the ballpark. The RiverDogs donated food to MUSC workers. Their video department along with Chris produced a baseball industry award-winning video “Here for the Holy City” featuring many high-profile Charlestonians and others with ties to Charleston showing their support for the RiverDogs.
When it finally came to be known that they were not going to play at all in 2020, the RiverDogs had to reach out to the season ticket holders and sponsors and offer refunds. But these businesses, many of whom have been long term partners, stepped up and about 90% did not take refunds. The club rolled those over to 2021. That was a huge help in keeping things going in 2020, but of course, that meant that those funds didn’t come in in 2021. The RiverDogs needed to figure out how they can still put on games and events with less staff. They opened in May with a 30% capacity limit. That lasted through the first third of the season. That was another financial hit, but by June they were able to go full capacity. Dave said people are enjoying being outside and the feedback they are getting is that they feel safe at the ballpark. The fans also have been understanding about staffing challenges that the RiverDogs are having, like many other businesses. Dave said they are probably 50 people short of what they typically would have for game day operations. Going forward they continue to be in dialogue with the city to try and keep things running smoothly, safely, and provide the great fan experience that RiverDogs Baseball is known for.
To access the recording from this week’s meeting, go here.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Robie Scott gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Lisa Fellanbom introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob Dewey presented Health and Happiness
- Rich Dukes introduced our speakers from Post & Courier
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
August 3, 2021 | Issue 5013 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
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- August 3 – Scott Stephens, SC Historical Society
- August 10 – Whit Smith, SC Ports
- August 17 – Ann Warner from SCWREN (Zoom only)
- August 26 – Club Social at Saltwater Cowboys
NEWS BRIEFS
Important – COVID Meeting Protocols Updated
In alignment with the new CDC guidelines, the Rotary Board has determined that the club needs to make adjustments to our Rotary meeting procedures. Effective immediately, we will no longer take temperatures upon arrival or be required to sign a waiver at the door. Face masks are now optional for all Rotarians and visitors, who are fully vaccinated. Those Rotarians and visitors, who are not yet vaccinated, are encouraged to continue to wear masks. Name badges will again be worn at meetings.
The staff and servers at Hall’s will continue to wear masks.
For the safety of our members and guests, we ask all members to please comply with the CDC guidelines and our protocols.
No cash? No problem. We now take Venmo!
Thanks to overwhelming demand by our younger, cash-fee members, the club will now accept Venmo payments. Venmo can be used to pay dues, meals for guests, contribute happy dollars and conduct other transactions which previously required cash, check or credit cards. Simplly add @rotaryclubofcharleston as a payee on your Venmo account. Thanks Joseph Tecklenburg for helping us reach this incredible technology milestone!
Rob Dewey is now looking into how we can use Bitcoin to pay our dues.
Charleston 50: Year Two
Charleston50, a fundraising campaign launched by the Rotary Club of Charleston to fund community grants, has already reached 58% of its 2021-22 goal during the first 24 days of our fiscal year!
Begun last year when traditional events were canceled due to COVID, the project is continuing thanks to the overwhelming response by members who donate $500 annually to support deserving non-profits in our club’s service area.
The Rev. Rob Dewey, club president, said, “Charleston50 was a surprise success for us. After decades of supporting projects by selling tickets and sponsorships, we quickly learned that our members value the impact our club has in the community and the easy way they can give through Charleston50.”
Charleston50 members receive several visibility benefits including being listed on the club’s website and on a slide deck visible for 20 minutes before each meeting; a pin; a sticker; and an opportunity to briefly greet club members. Donations to Charleston50 are made through the non-profit arm of our club and are 100% tax-deductible.
Please download and complete the Pledge Form here, and return it via email to Phoenicia Miracle at PMiracle@MiracleStrategies.com.
Next Rotary Social: Saltwater Cowboys: August 26
Our next Rotary Social will be on Thursday, August 26 at Saltwater Cowboys on Shem Creek. Look for more info and E-vite from our social committee chairs Michael Smith and Leah Donaldson. Come out and join your fellow Rotarians in some waterside fellowship
PR Committee Seeking Volunteers
Our club’s PR Team is looking for additional members to join their committee. Specifically, volunteer photographers are needed to take photos at our meetings. If you are interested in serving on the PR committee and helping in this role, please email Mike Sottak at mikesottak@gmail.com. Fancy cameras are not required, an iPhone will do! It would be wonderful to have a couple of volunteers alternating the weekly duty.
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.
Become a PHF & Support the Rotary Foundation
Do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions.
You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.
Our Club is on Social Media
Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us pictures of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be sent to Mike Sottak, mikesottak@gmail.com, or Rob Byko, rob@bykorealty.com.
MEMBER NEWS
Congratulations to Travis Ronk who was inducted into the club. Travis was originally sponsored by past member Silva Goxaj and Steve Morse became his official sponsors when Silva changed clubs. Welcome Travis.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Beth Meyer Bernstein – sponsor: Sandy Sue Sommer-Kresse, classification: College Professor/Dean
Daniel West – sponsor: Cleave Ham, classification: Financial services
Sam Skardon – Sponsor: Rob Dewey, classification: nonprofit development
In the event you know Beth, Daniel or Sam please tell a member of the Board how they will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Stephanie Dasher
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- JOINED: 6//8/2021
- SPONSOR: Skip Fink
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Eleemosynary/Executive
- PROFESSION: Executive Director, Warrior Surf Foundation
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: Though I graduated college with a Nuclear Engineering & Science degree, I actually dropped out of Algebra II in high school because I said it was too hard and I wasn’t good in math. I truly believe this and I hated math, but loved science. To me, this is proof that all of our brains mature at different rates and given enough time we can learn to do anything.
- JOINED: 6//8/2021
Birthdays
- 8/1 – Jeremy Cook
- 8/3 – Howard Chapman
- 8/6 – Chloe Tonney
- 8/6 – Amy Chico
- 8/7– Karl Brady
- 8/7 – Hilton Smith
- 8/10 – Alvin Williams
- 8/11 – Andrew Rosenfeld
- 8/19 – Mary Ann Kohli
- 8/26 – Rudy Gill
WELLNESS TIP
SLEEP IS ESSENTIAL
Knowing how much sleep your body needs and getting the required amount is key to self-care. Sleep patterns can change during the summer. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the body and released in the dark, helps us feel tired. Melatonin signals to the brain that it is time to sleep. Extended light hours during the summer means that release of melatonin is delayed, so our body doesn’t feel like sleeping until later when it is dark. Our normal sleep pattern, called the circadian rhythm, can be delayed as the day is longer during the summer months.
Think back on the last time you didn’t get enough sleep—it likely affected your entire day. A lack of sleep can impact our mental health, relationships, productivity, and overall well-being. Remember the importance of a good night’s sleep and get plenty of rest during the summer.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
Charleston Breakfast: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact 
with us through social media.
We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
President: Lisa Van Bergen
Keyway editor: Don Baus don@sgaarchitecture.com
Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, carrollschweers@gmail.com
Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029
Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved