GOOD NEWS: RiverDogs among leaders in licensed merchandise sales

Sunset at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Stadium in Charleston.

Staff reports  | The Charleston RiverDogs ranked were in the top 25 of 160 teams in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) for licensed merchandise sales for 2018.  All totaled, teams set a new record of almost $74 million in retail sales.

“Minor League Baseball team names and logos continue to grow in popularity each year. Our teams work hard to promote their brands and solidify MiLB identities in the conversation among the most enjoyed brands in professional sports,” said Brian Earle, Minor League Baseball’s head of licensing and consumer products. “To have their names and logos recognized and admired by fans locally, nationally and, in come cases, globally, speaks to the tremendous amount of effort and attention our teams dedicate to creating, building and promoting their brands.” .

In 2018, Minor League Baseball attracted nearly 40.5 million fans to its ballparks.  The RiverDogs are back in town July 18 for a four-game stand against the Lexington (Ky.) Legends.  Click here to learn more and buy tickets..  

In other Good News:

Still number one.  For the seventh year in a row, Charleston is the No. 1 U.S. city according to readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. At No. 10 worldwide, Charleston is the only U.S. city to make the global cut this year. A hat tip to Hilton Head, which was named best island in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row.   Read the magazine’s Charleston story  | Take a tour of Charleston with the magazine’s editor.

Innovative health program.  A big pat on the back to the Palmetto Project for starting InsureSC, a program that is connecting people with health insurance options that are right for them.  As reported in sister publication Statehouse Report, the program is being looked at as a model by other states.  Read more here.

Continuing dialogue.  The city of Charleston, Historic Charleston Foundation and other partners are continuing the Dutch Dialogues discussions addressing flooding challenges this week, including two public events.  At 6:30 p.m. Monday, the design team will meet with the public to give an update on the Dutch Dialogues process and get input. Location: Crosstowne Church, 1941, Bees Ferry Road, West Ashley. Then at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, an official from Amsterdam will discuss the “Rainproof” program to make his city greener, more resilient and less flood-prone. Location: Clemson Design Center, 701 East Bay St., Charleston.

Big award.  Congratulations to Palmetto Goodwill President and CEO Robert Smith for recently receiving the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award at Goodwill Industries International’s annual meeting in Pittsburgh. According to a press release, Smith has worked for the last 20 years to ensure that individuals at all levels of the organization have an active voice and are considered when making organizational decisions. Palmetto Goodwill employs more than 1,400 individuals from various demographics and diverse socio-economic backgrounds.