In honor of Valentine’s Day, we decided to recreate a scene from arguably one of the most romantic films of all time, “The Notebook.” We didn’t have the budget for Hollywood movie stars like Ryan Gosling and Blake Lively, so we had to flip the script. No offense Nicholas Sparks. We hired the sweetest pair of lovebirds on Isle of Palms that we could find -- Billy and Lisa Lempesis. For those who don’t know their love story, I won’t spoil it (hint: read about it on Page 24). But I will give you some behind-the-scenes details on the making of this romantic front cover. Firstly, thanks to Mother Nature Whether you are jumping into the ocean to reset your mind or body or just enjoy the fun and camaraderie, the important thing is that you are supporting a good cause at the Isle of Palms Polar Plunge later this month. This annual fundraiser raises money to benefit the Special Olympics South Carolina athletic programs. The Mount Pleasant Police Department will host the Plunge through the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics South Carolina on Feb. 22 at the Windjammer. All proceeds will benefit athlete programs statewide. The event will also feature live music from Bach to Rock Mount Pleasant. Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics was created with a simple idea: to give individuals with intellectual About the Cover Love, sweet love By Zach Giroux 5 IslandVibesIOP.com NEWS IOP Polar Plunge to carry on a chilly tradition for a warm cause By Maurice J. Frazier disabilities the opportunity to compete in sports activities. That vision has now grown to focus not only on sports, but on health and education as well. The end goal is to improve the health status of and increase access to quality health care and health resources for people with intellectual disabilities. Any athlete must be healthy in mind and body to perform and excel in his/her given sport. The educational focus began in 1998 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, challenging the Special Olympics to find ways to make improvements in education and to make school campuses places of acceptance and inclusion. SOSC now has inclusion programs in over 400 schools here in the Palmetto State. “Last year we had 170 people, and 40 teams registered, and we are hoping to double that this year,” explained MPPD Lt. Don Calabrese. “The goal is to raise $50 per person to be able to plunge and get a polar plunge shirt.” To register, visit classy.org/campaign/2025isle-of-palms-polar-plunge/c598211 or for more information, contact Don Calabrese at dcalabrese@tompsc.com or (843) 998-5183. for providing the perfect chilly day. A few degrees warmer would have been nice but I don’t want to press my luck. Also, credit to IOP City Hall for providing the bench and greenery for the backdrop. Perhaps the biggest shoutout goes to our art director Bethany Long for scrambling to find the perfect touches to stage the scene: a combination of beautiful faux flowers and rose petals. The smallest details make the biggest difference. Most notably, this was the quickest and most efficient photoshoot I’ve ever been part of. I’m pretty positive our photographer Rachel Basye got it right on the first shot. Thanks to her skills behind the lens and the fact that Billy and Lisa are so photogenic, we were done in record time. Additionally, Bethany’s husband Andy was on standby as a stunt double in case Billy froze and needed a substitute. The man was casually wearing a T-shirt; clearly, he doesn’t feel pain. In retrospect, this photoshoot brought all of us together on a cold day to celebrate one of life’s greatest joys that some of us are lucky to experience and should never take for granted -- true love. Schedule of Events Saturday, Feb. 22 Registration 10:30 a.m. Costume Contest 11:15 a.m. Awards 11:45 a.m. Plunge Noon
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