Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s 18th annual Charity Day event, held Sept. 18, brought the Greenville community together to support Awaken Coffee. Thanks to the generosity of customers and community members, the Tidal Wave location at 102 E. Arlington Blvd. raised $1,900 to benefit Awaken Coffee’s mission.
Awaken Coffee is a nonprofit organization that employs adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. With locations at 101 W. 14th St. and in the Student Center on the ECU Health Sciences campus, Awaken Coffee currently employs 12 part-time team members, with another 15 serving as volunteers in the café.
Awaken Coffee received 50% of single-wash proceeds on Charity Day. The remaining 50% went to Tidal Wave’s corporate partners: Annandale Village, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing progressive life assistance to adults with developmental disabilities, and The Joseph Sams School, a nonprofit organization providing educational and therapeutic support for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Not only are we grateful for the opportunity to partner with Tidal Wave to raise funds, but events like Charity Day help us share our mission with our community,” Awaken Coffee Executive Director Carol Preston said. “We’ve been open for over three years, and it amazes me how many people have never heard of us.”
This year’s Charity Day was Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s largest yet, with 319 participating locations. Over the event’s 18-year history, Tidal Wave has donated more than $3.5 million to charitable organizations.
“Charity Day is our chance to support the incredible organizations in the communities we serve and help them continue their impactful work,” Tidal Wave Auto Spa Founder and CEO Scott Blackstock said.
The Triangle Business Journal and Invest Greenville will host Corridors of Opportunity from 8-10 a.m. on Thursday in Harvey Hall at the Murphy Center of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, 100 Ficklen Drive. The panel conversation will feature leaders managing the regions development, challenges and opportunities.
Panelists will include Pitt County Economic Development Director Kelly Andrews, Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly, The Overton Group President and Owner Michael Overton and ECU Health CEO Dr. Michael Waldrum. The moderator will be Ben Tobin, Greater Triangle reporter for Triangle Business Journal.
Tobin will lead a discussion on economic development, healthcare and life sciences, housing and infrastructure, Greenville’s continued growth and what’s next for the economic hub. Visit tinyurl.com/corridors-of-opportunity-2026.
NC East Alliance has been awarded a $380,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to launch the Eastern North Carolina Maritime Supplier Accelerator, which is a new initiative designed to help small manufacturers across eastern North Carolina enter and expand within the nation’s Maritime and Defense Industrial Base.
NC East Alliance was selected through the SBA’s Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program, a national initiative designed to strengthen domestic manufacturing and strategically important American supply chains. The SBA awarded $8.9 million to 18 organizations across 17 states, with NC East Alliance selected as North Carolina’s recipient with a focus on the Defense Industrial Base.
“This investment gives us an opportunity to connect the manufacturing strength that already exists across eastern North Carolina with one of the most important industrial challenges facing our country,” said Dr. Frank “Trip” Belote, president and CEO of NC East Alliance. “Our region has the companies, workforce, educational institutions and manufacturing capabilities to play a much larger role in America’s maritime and defense supply chain. The MARINER framework will help us build the connections and capacity necessary to make that happen.”
This grant is part of a broader effort to strengthen North Carolina’s maritime industrial base, including the development of the emerging North Carolina Maritime Association, and will help build the connections and capacity needed to support small manufacturers seeking opportunities within the maritime and defense supply chain. Visit nceast.org for more information.
Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports announced that Kelly Clare has recently joined the team as sales and services manager for the sports market.
As the sales and services manager for sports, Clare will be working to identify, solicit, secure and retain sports events for Play Greenville, NC Sports by generating leads and participating in local, regional and national conferences, marketplaces and conventions.
“I am excited to join the Play Greenville, NC Sports team and be part of the continued growth and development of sports tourism in Greenville-Pitt County,” Clare said. “Having worked closely with our local sports facilities and community partners, I have seen firsthand the tremendous potential our destination has to offer. I look forward to bringing my experience in facility operations, event management and relationship building to this new role, helping attract new sporting events, strengthen partnerships and contribute to the continued success of sports tourism in our community.”
Clare earned her bachelor of science in human performance with a concentration in exercise and recreation leadership from The University of Tampa, as well as a masters of kinesiology with a concentration in health promotion, recreation and sport management from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Most recently, Clare was the assistant director of facilities with Campus Recreation & Wellness at East Carolina University, where she gained experience managing facility operations, operational assessment, staff development, front of house services and programs across two indoor recreation facilities at over 150,000 square feet and two outdoor sport complexes over 150 acres, as well as collaborations with stakeholders and partners and other activities.
As Greenville-Pitt County continues to invest in sports tourism infrastructure through strategic partnerships, renovations and expansions at the North Recreational Complex and plans for a future diamond sports complex, adding a professional with Clare’s exerience positions Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports to capitalize on this momentum, the organization.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kelly to our team at such an exciting time for sports tourism in Greenville-Pitt County,” Visit Greenville, NC President and CEO Rachel Whitten said. “... We could not be more excited about the expertise, relationships and fresh perspective she brings to our team as we build on that momentum and pursue new opportunities for our destination.”
The Winterville Chamber of Commerce and #WeJustWantResults Sports Performance & Personal Training held a ribbon cutting Oct. 8 at the Winterville Train Depot, recognizing the growth of the local business dedicated to helping individuals reach their fitness and performance goals.
“When Coach Dave Barrett started his business six years ago, he had little more than a football field and the creativity and determination to make it work,” a chamber news release said. “Today, he has his own space on 3192 E. 10th St. and a loyal community of clients who believe in what he’s built.”
Stories like this are a reminder that every successful business starts somewhere, the chamber said, and that hard work, passion and the support of a community can go a long way.
“It was a pleasure to celebrate this exciting milestone alongside Coach Dave and recognize all he has accomplished,” the chamber said. “We are proud to support local businesses like #WeJustWantResults and look forward to seeing the business continue to (have an) impact in our community.”