The Oct. 30 Premium VIP Reception featuring “True Blood” star and Charleston native Sam Trammell is nearly sold out.

Tickets are $150, and proceeds benefit East End Main Street. Guests are guranteed time with Sam Trammell, including autograph and photo opportunities.

Click here to register.

The event is scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m. at the Cultural Center.

A Fan Gathering with Sam Trammell follows at 6 p.m. Trammel also will be attending that reception, and tickets are $100. Click here to register.

Trammell will be the featured guest for “Inside the Main Street Studio,” a sit-down, “Inside the Actors Studio”-style interview, at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at Kanawha Players, 309 Beauregard St.

David Wohl, dean of arts and humanities at West Virginia State University, will be asking the questions, and a Kanawha Players performance of “Dial M for Murder” will follow Trammell’s appearance.

Tickets to that event are $50. Click here to register.

VIP tickets include the Fan Gathering and “Inside the Main Street Studio,” as well as “Dial M for Murder.” The Fan Gathering tickets include “Main Street Studio” and “Dial M for Murder.”

“I really am thrilled to be coming back to Charleston,” Trammell said. “I consider Charleston home. My mom and dad still live there. I really miss it, and I’m excited to see all my friends and family. It’s great to be coming home.”

The main focus of Trammell’s Charleston visit will be supporting the work of East End Main Street, a program of the Charleston Area Alliance dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Charleston’s oldest and most diverse neighborhood.

In addition to the special evening with Trammell, HallowEast will feature a murder mystery dinner, the “ArtMares” exhibition, special trick or treating events and a blood drive, among other activities.

Trammell was born in Louisiana and has lived in North Dakota and Indiana. But he spent most of his early life in Charleston, going to Overbrook Elementary, John Adams Middle School and George Washington High School. After attending Brown University and the University of Paris, Trammell acted on Broadway and eventually appeared in several films, including “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” and “Autumn in New York,” among others. He also guest-starred on several TV shows, including “House,” “CSI: New York” and “Dexter,” among others.

“True Blood,” though, has catapulted Trammell to celebrity status, which is evident by the growing number of talk show appearances.

Trammell said he is eager to support the efforts of EEMS, which works directly with neighborhood businesses, leading them from simple ideas to significant investments. The program is based on a national model for community revitalization that was developed to save historic commercial architecture and has since become a powerful economic development tool across the country.

“Downtown Charleston and the East End are just amazing,” Trammell said. “Today, when you look at the ballpark, the Clay Center and Capitol Street, you understand the revitalization has been great. I want to see it continue.”

For more information about HallowEast, visit www.HallowEast.com.

More than 50 Generation Charleston volunteers devoted part of their Saturday to fighting homelessness and hunger Oct. 10.

From WCHS-TV:

Volunteers from Generation Charleston unpack boxes of coats, hang them up, and get them ready for Union Mission’s annual winter coat event.

“All of this was just boxes and ranks that needed to be organized,” Julie Cypher said. “We were able to get a tremendous amount of work done in a short period of time.”

As part of their effort to tackle homelessness and hunger, more than 50 volunteers worked at four different organizations throughout the city.

“Generation Charleston really wants to effect change that matters here in Charleston,” Brooke Pauley said.

Volunteers worked at the YWCA Resolve Center, Manna Meal, The ReStore, and Union Mission.

Click here to watch the video.

From WOWK-TV:

After a few hours of work, nine Generation Charleston members have sorted and hung nearly 1,000 coats and sweaters at the Union Mission.

“I have a coat for this winter, but there are a lot of people who don’t, and the fact that we can be here and be a part of making sure those coats get to the right people and people can stay warm this winter when it gets cold is very rewarding,” says Julie Cyphers of Generation Charleston.

The efforts of the group is saving the Union Mission a lot of time and money. Their busy season is just around the corner beginning with a coat drive in a couple of weeks.

“It has helped us tremendously. There’s no way staff can get this done. This is getting it ready so we will be ready,” says Kaye Leadman, Volunteer Coordinator for the Union Mission.

The organization’s work at the Union Mission is one of four community projects for the Day Of Service. Fifty Generation Charleston members are taking part

“We think often times our generation gets labeled as the me generation, gets labeled as being complacent, and we want to to dispel that myth. We’re really not, and I think it just goes to show what we’re doing here today,” says Rob Rosano of Generation Charleston.

One of the goals of the group is to make Charleston a better place. Rosano says one way to do that is through community service.

Generation Charleston does community service projects throughout the year. They hope to make their “Day of Service” an annual event.

Click here to watch the video.