Conversations with Nicole: May 24, 2022, Sam Rogers, Grateful Dog Festival

This Conversations with Nicole is "going to the dogs" and I'm happy about that! My long-time friend, Sam Rogers, is my guest for this episode. He's the force behind the Grateful Dog Festival in Florence County, South Carolina. It began in 2011 as a birthday party for Jerry Garcia, former lead singer of the Grateful Dead. Sam tells me as he planned this event, the tremendous outpour of community support led him to turn the party into a fundraiser for the Florence Area Humane Society. The festival was such a success that it's continued every year since and now includes the Humane Societies of Darlington and Marlboro Counties. Sam has since created a 501(c)3 called The Grateful Dog Group. Since its inception, this fundraiser has raised more than $100,000. The Grateful Dog Festival is now a three-day camping event held at Sugar Magnolia Ranch in Timmonsville, South Carolina. It offers live music, a silent auction, a kids' zone, food, drink, merchandise vendors, a bike rally, a golf tournament, a dunking booth, and so much more! I hope you enjoy my conversation with Sam. He's a great person who genuinely cares about animals, gives back to his community, and helps others. For tickets to the Grateful Dog Festival go to eventbrite.com (search Grateful Dog Festival) or Grateful Dog Family Page on Facebook. #converstionswithnicole #casuallyspeaking #gratefuldogfestival #animallovers