Substitutes for Santa

This annual event is put together by gsSCENE and it was truly a great way to kick off the holiday season! At this group project, we had the opportunity to help 70 underprivileged kids from the Loris area have a real Christmas and it was so rewarding. The kid’s ages ranged from about 4-12 and were each paired up with a volunteer for the evening. 

We met at Ultimate California Pizza to start the night with pizza and fun in the game room. They were able to gather enough money in their own fundraising efforts to fund this entire portion of the night, what a big help! The kids had a blast playing games and everyone had their fill on pizza.

Next up, we loaded a bus and took the kids to Wal-Mart for their own personal shopping experience. Equipped with a $100 gift card and a wish list to help us, we spent the next hour with the kids picking out toys and games as well as essential items such as jackets and socks. Santa also made his appearance and there was a balloon artist on hand to keep everyone smiling. 

In the end, the kids were so grateful and we had a good time showing them the holiday spirit. Check out the pictures from the event to see the fun.

All of the gifts on the bus ready for the kids to take home 

Shiver for the Shelter Golf Tournament

LGSers gathered together at Farmstead Golf Links in Calabash, NC for another awesome group project volunteer opportunity. The annual Shiver for the Shelter golf tournament benefits the North Myrtle BeachHumane Society and is directed by Jeffrey Wisniewski, one of our own LGS Board of Regents members and his wife Patricia. In addition to the entry fee, players are also required to bring 100 lbs of dog/cat food or litter.

Our day involved setting up and checking in players while promoting additional mulligan sales and door prizes for the cause.  We also distributed goodie bags and had a few strong men load up the trailer with all of the food donated. In the afternoon, we fed players lunch and helped clean up the event.

132 players turned out for this great cause and we collected 7.5 tons of food and litter! The Humane Society was so grateful – they have a huge responsibility caring for these animals and not having to worry about the essentials is a big help. We had a great time helping a wonderful cause!

The volunteers with the animals we helped

Andrea and Jewell ready to begin check in!

Meredith, Candy and Sarah preparing lunch for the players

Announcements before the start

Class Day #3

December’s Class really stood out from the rest so far and was extremely educational as we focused on Horry County Government. We started off at the Horry County Council building in Conway and heard from the CountyAdministrator, Chris Eldridge. He oversees 30 separate departments, all needed for the county to run smoothly on a day-to-day basis. We also got an update about the many road projects currently happening, such as the Back Gate project, as well as future projects such as I-73. Lastly, we got a behind the scenes tour of the 911 operating center (amazing!) and had some time to speak with county police officers.

Next, we traveled to J. Reuben Long Detention Facility and heard from the County Sherriff, Phillip Thompson and his Chief Deputy, PaulButler. We got a complete overview of the jail operations and what it takes to keep the streets safe.  Most interesting, was the actual tour of the jail. We split into groups and were able to go inside the command center, into the pods, the maximum-security wing and visiting areas. Our safety was top priority at all times and the staff was all very knowledgeable and professional. To end the day, we sat and watched a few jail bond hearings.  It really is an incredible operation and we must give kudos to all who help run it successfully.