Nonprofit marks anniversary with fundraiser.
When Buckhead resident Peggy Ratcliffe’s parents passed, she was tasked with cleaning out their home. Her father, an avid gardener, had amassed a collection of pesticides and herbicides—toxic items that could not be tossed into the garbage. Thus began a journey to educate herself about how to dispose of household hazardous waste and to help people across metro Atlanta create sustainable living environments. Live Thrive launched in 2010, and what began as a pop-up event has become a beacon of environmental education through its Center for Hard to Recycle Materials facilities.
“It’s meaningful to think that there are so many people in the metro area who want to do the right thing,” Ratcliffe says. “It’s amazing to have taken something that was personal to me and grown it into an opportunity for people to be able to properly recycle items with confidence.”
To mark its milestone 15th anniversary, Live Thrive made its annual fundraiser, A CHaRM’ing Evening, more special than usual. Held Oct. 23, the event featured tunes from local band Yacht Rock Revue, as well as a costume contest for attendees sporting their favorite looks from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. In addition to food and cocktails, those in attendance received information about the organization’s projects, such as Live Thrive’s collaboration with the Atlanta Housing Authority’s Bowen Homes public housing project that includes the development of an environmental education center. “The exciting part is bringing all of these people together who have supported us through the years,” Ratcliffe says. “I feel so blessed to have had this door opened for me.”
LIVE THRIVE
livethrive.org
@livethriveatl
