Beaufort Lifestyle - December 2017

B EAUFORT, P ORT R OYAL A ND T HE S EA I SLANDS

DECEMBER 2017

Kelley Luikey

Shooting In Shadows

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CONTRIBUTORS writers

photographers Cindy Reid

Susan Deloach

Cindy Reid has been published in About Town, skirt!, Salon.com and The Coastal Mariner. A graduate of Mills College in Oakland, CA, she spent most of her career working with authors in the retail book business before becoming one herself. She has a daughter who lives in the state of Washington. A native of New York’s Hudson Valley, she now makes her home on St. Helena Island.

Susan Deloach was born Susan Bessinger in Beaufort, where she still resides with her husband, Larry, and sons Hudson and Tucker. Susan has a gift for capturing the personality and unique essence of her subject whether on location or in the studio. Her portraits are as diverse as the personalities of the people she photographs some are edgy, some joyful, but all have one thing in common: the sensitive, skilled and thoughtful approach of the artist behind the camera.

Carol Lauvray

John Wollwerth

Carol Lauvray relocated from Ohio to Beaufort in 2011 to enjoy the pristine coastal beauty of the Lowcountry and this friendly, welcoming community. In Beaufort, Carol’s found more than a home--she’s found the ideal place to pursue her passions for history and writing. She became a docent for the Beaufort History Museum in 2013 and now serves as the President of the Museum’s Board of Directors. Carol has more than 20 years of experience in writing marketing communications and holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Communication from Ohio University. Her daughter Cristin and son-in-law Kevin live near Columbus, Ohio.

John Wollwerth is a photographer raised in New York, now living in Beaufort. He specializes in wedding and commercial photography, with additional background in portrait and stock photography. His work has appeared in such publications as The Washington Post, the Minneapolis Tribune, Coastal Living and South Carolina Homes and Gardens. John is involved with the Photography Club of Beaufort and the Professional Photographer of South Carolina.

He lives with his wife and three children.

Emily Burgess

Paul Nurnberg

Emily Burgess received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to three boys and writes freelance. She moved to Beaufort in 2013 for her husband’s job and enjoys all the lowcountry has to offer.

Paul Nurnberg, whose studio is in Beaufort, SC, specializes in architectural and lifestyle advertising photography. He photographs a variety of subjects including people, products, food, nature and travel for ad agencies, large corporations and magazines. Local clients include Beaufort Memorial Hospital, The Vegetable Kingdom and Swanky J Boutique. Other clients include JCB, (UK/Savannah), Johnson Matthey, Parker’s Markets and Stertil­Koni. Paul also teaches photography and camera classes and one on one lessons to individuals. He just finished a twoyear term as president of the SC chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers

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www.beaufortlifestyle.com 04 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

Beaufort Lifestyle welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com.

Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things in Beaufort, Port Royal or the Sea Islands will be considered.

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DECEMBER 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS 10

Photographer Kelley Luikey

Shooting In Shadows

16

De’Shaun Epps

22

Ladys Island Middle Robotics

26

United Way

Player Of The Year

Qualify for the US Robotics Open

Operation Holiday Heroes

Departments 09 Publisher’s Thoughts 33 Real Estate Section

10

16 06 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

22

Don’t Let The Construction Slow You Down...

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ON THE RIGHT PATH Beaufort Memorial has once again been designated a Pathway to ExcellenceÂŽ hospital - one of only five in South Carolina - by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This prestigious designation substantiates that Beaufort Memorial is committed to nurses and their practice, and has created a positive and nurturing environment that allows nurses to provide the highest level of care to our patients.

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Counting My Blessings

A

s we creep toward the end of 2017, I look back at the things we have accomplished....triumphs we have had... mistakes we have made...all a part of our growth and pure existence.

I will be the first one to admit that we make mistakes. After all, there is not a mortal human that is perfect.

Sometimes mistakes can be good...at least the ones you learn from. After eight plus years of producing this magazine, we have made our share. It’s the admittance and learning from them that has made us stronger.

We are also blessed to have experienced some triumphs along the way. Nothing makes me prouder than having someone tell me how much they enjoy Beaufort Lifestyle.

Thankfully, we have had many of those moments.

The ability and avenue to tell the stories of the people of Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands has been more than a blessing. Each year, I am fortunate enough to meet more and more people...more and more stories to tell.

And, this year, we were named Print Publication of the Year. We feel very honored that the citizens of this city voted to make Beaufort Lifestyle reach the top of this list.

We also made a huge change in 2017...changing from bimonthly to a monthly magazine. Whew! For you, that means twice the fun...for us, twice the work. But, we love what we do...so work is not an ugly word!

B EAUFORT, P ORT R OYAL A ND T HE S EA I SLANDS

DECEMBER 2017

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS I also take time to look ahead as well...what will 2018 bring us? Well, 2018 will bring us many amazing stories to tell, many new friendships, many opportunities to spend time with the wonderful people we have met along this journey and new creations inside our pages to share with our readers.

How blessed can we be?

I guess, all in all, this is a time for me to count my blessings...and, thankfully I Julie Hales, PUBLISHER have many to count.

A great publication, a wonderful staff, gifted writers, talented photographers...they all make my world turn a little easier. I couldn’t do it with out them.

So, as I count my blessings this year, I will include the city of Beaufort, the town of Port Royal, all of our beautiful islands and the wonderful help of Lea Thornton-Allen, Lane Leopard, Naomi Forrestall, Cindy Reid, Carol Lauvray, Emily Burgess, Paul Nurnberg, John Wollwerth and Susan DeLoach.

See you in 2018!

ABOUT THE COVER Ever wanted to be able to capture nature in its finest moments? Meet Kelley Luikey, a nature photographer that has a knack for being in the right place, at the the right moment.

Photo by John Wollwerth

Kelley Luikey

STAFF

Shooting In Shadows

Julie Hales Owner/Publisher julie@idpmagazines.com

Naomi Forrestall Graphic Design

Lea Thornton-Allen Administrative Assistant lea@idpmagazines.com

Lane Leopard Administrative Assistant lane@idpmagazines.com

Beaufort Lifestyle is proudly produced by Independence Day Publishing One Beaufort Town Center • 2015 Boundary Street, Suite 330 • Beaufort, SC 29902 • (843) 379-8696 CIRCULATION: Beaufort Lifestyle is publlished monthly, printing 10,000 copies and distributed to over 200 locations.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

09

Shooting in Shadows

Photographer Kelley Luikey story by Cindy Reid photos by John Wollwerth

I

magine the stillness it takes to capture one single instant in an owl’s life. Imagine getting up before dawn and settling yourself in a john boat, silently, stealthily, in order to capture the one single moment when twenty roseate spoonbills take flight. Imagine yourself Kelley Luikey, the photographer behind the camera at Nature Muse Imagery. Photographer, teacher and Master Naturalist, you have seen her work on two different billboards around the lowcountry. One was the sunrise image “Cloudscape” taken at Hunting Island and selected as through a juried process for the Beaufort Arts Council and Adams Outdoor Advertising “ ArtPop” competition, and the other is a dolphin ‘standing’ half out of the water for a billboard promoting Port Royal for the “Cool, Coastal and far from Ordinary” campaign. You may have seen her gorgeous images at MacDonald Marketplace on St. Helena Island and other venues. And if you are really fortunate you may have one hanging in your home!

Background Born in Seattle, Kelley lived all over the country as her family moved due to her father’s career. As a child she had a keen interest in the outdoors and was always

out exploring. Eventually they ended up in North Carolina where she attended Appalachian State University. Kelley says her interest in nature was evident then, “I wanted to be a marine biologist, but after being talked out of it, I ended up being a psychology major. I took photography classes in college and I spent a lot of time in the darkroom- those were the film days! I spent a large part of my days in college outdoors exploring the mountains and I taught an Experiential Education program for rising high school seniors for several summers. I had always wanted to live by the water, so after college I moved Nantucket Island, where I spent most of the next 5 years and where I met my husband Rich. I was working at the Nantucket airport where Rich was a pilot, and I met him while I was flying back and forth to graduate classes on the mainland.”

Life continued, two children Arden (now 10 years old) and Tristan (now 13) came along and eleven years ago the Luikey family moved to the lowcountry.

She spent much of her time on the water exploring and learning as much about the lowcountry as possible. Kelley says her interest in photography was revived around four years ago and a good friend encouraged her to pursue it more seriously. She says, “At the age of 41, I decided that it was time to go back to what I loved most, being outdoors and bringing the camera with me. In the meantime, digital had taken over and everything was very different. It was a huge learning curve and while using the camera came back fairly quickly, learning computer editing was much harder.” After four years working in the new technology Kelley says, “Learning to edit is the key

to differentiating yourself and getting to that point was hard. Going from a straightforward documentarian approach to creating an artistic image to ‘put on the wall’ has really been my journey.”

Even her choice of subject has evolved over the last few years. Kelley says,”When I went back to photography, I also revisited my interest in marine biology, which meant photos of dolphins and turtles but at that time my equipment wasn’t quite right for wildlife subjects so I focused on landscapes -sunrises and sunsets -but as I added lenses and camera bodies to my equipment I shifted to a love of photographing birds. “ Great Kiskadee As a nature photographer, Kelley obviously spends a lot of time in the wild where she sees all kinds of interesting birds and animals. But nothing had prepared her for what turned out to be quite a significant birding moment in February of last year. She recounts, “I was out at Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County and I noticed a bright yellow bird about on a branch a few trees away from me. I took the picture and texted a bird friend who immediately knew I had found something very special.”

The bird was the Great Kiskadee, a South American bird that had never been seen on the east coast before. This was very big birding news. Kelley’s find was discussed on SC Public Radio by renowned host Rudy Mancke on his show “Nature Notes” and many birders flocked to the sighting spot hoping see the Great Kiskadee for themselves. “It really was thrilling to see this bird and be able to report it, and I met some really lovely people through the whole experience.” Says Kelley. www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

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Bobcats For a very long time, bobcats were the number one animals to see and photograph on Kelley’s bucket list. She says, “I spent hundreds of hours looking for bobcats, in fact it became a mission.

And then one day last month I saw what I thought were raccoons going down a path at one of my photography haunts. Because I thought they were raccoons, I took my time getting my equipment assembled, locking up my car etc. I followed them down the path, still thinking they were raccoons, and when I caught up with them and realized they were bobcats I had about 45 seconds to take my pictures.” What she captured is a series of breath taking images of bobcat kittens at play. “The whole encounter took place over a span of four minutes,” she says.

When asked what is next on her bucket list, she answered “Snowy Owls have been on my list for awhile, I’ve been watching this year’s activity and making plans to head north this winter,” says Kelley, “and there is no real end to my list as there is always something beautiful in nature left to see.”

Shooting in Shadows “Go dark or go light” says Kelley, “I like negative space in a photo, because that is what draws the eye to the subject.

One of her most sold works is “Timeless Reflection,” a photo of a single sailboat taken in the extreme fog. She says, “This was taken here in Port Royal and is a really good example of creating an image that someone would enjoy having in their home, something someone could visualize hanging on a wall.”

Her series of the Roseate Spoonbills has been very popular as well. According to www.audubon.org “Gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close is the Roseate Spoonbill.” These large wading birds were almost hunted to extinction for their distinct pink plumage in the 1860’s but since then they have made a decent comeback and can be found in parts of Florida, Texas, Louisiana and in a tiny slice of South Carolina coast. They live in marshes and their pink color can be attributed to their diet rich in shrimp. With marshes and shrimp in abundance in the lowcountry, one can see the attraction.

Kelley’s photographs reveal the beauty and grace in these unusual birds, and she is able to highlight their unique and startling pink plumage without rendering it garish. They resemble nothing so much as ballerinas in her photographs. Set against a black background, these are indeed portraits of individual birds, but unlike any way we have seen them before.

12 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

Equally interesting is her series of owls, which reveals a playfulness and companionship between the birds rarely seen in the clichéd photos of the “wise owl.” Owls appear equally inscrutable and approachable in Kelley’s owl portraits.

Kelley’s ability to bring us into a wild creature’s world while expanding on their otherness to us gives her wildlife photos a dimension not seen in documentary photography work. She shapes the subtleties of the lowcountry morning around a bird’s pink wings, while bringing out the masterpieces contained in a single feather. She has made “shooting in shadows” beautiful for us, the viewer, and we are the richer for have seen it through her eyes.

Environment Our lowcountry landscape holds such a lure that its own beauty could be its downfall. Building has been accelerating, everyday one sees new commercial

or residential development. Tracts of undisturbed land are becoming extinct, which of course upsets the natural order of wildlife. Spending as much time as she does out in the wild, Kelley is highly attuned to the changes in our natural environment. When she frames a photo, she not only works at creating an artistic effect but also she is subtly encouraging the viewer to truly see this bird, this sunrise, this bobcat. Her work strives to lower the barriers between our two worlds.

Kelley says, “My ultimate goal is to create artistic images that encourage others to get out, to see the beauty that surrounds us. This in turn encourages people to want to protect our environment, for ourselves, our children and ultimately for future generations.”

For further information visit: www.naturemuseimagery.com www.facebook.com/naturemuseimagery www.instagram.com/naturemuseimagery

Photos By Kelley Luikey

www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

13

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De’Shaun Epps

Player of the Year

South Carolina Independent School Association story by Cindy Reid

photos by Paul Nurnberg

M

eet De’Shaun Epps. This may be the first time you’ve heard his name, but it’s guaranteed not to be the last. De’Shaun was recently named SCISA 8-Man Division I Player of Year for his outstanding first season with the Beaufort Academy Eagles football team. (SCISA is the South Carolina Independent School Association). He earned this honor with his impressive rushing and scoring offensive play. De’Shaun rushed for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns and, he also caught 13 passes for 363 yards and five scores. In his extraordinary first season with the BA Eagles, De’Shaun ran 2431 all purpose yards, with a remarkable average of 243 yards a game.

De’Shaun’s performance on the field helped bring BA to its second five win season in school history and its very first trip to the SCISA 8 Man semi-finals. Regarding his “Player of the Year” honor, De’Shaun says, “It felt good, because I never really had a season like that before.” He says, “My team mates are good and we have the motivation to work together.”

BA football Coach Scott Richards says, “I nominated De’Shaun for both Offensive Player of the Year and all round Player of the Year. The coaches in our region are the ones who vote, so in order to be named Player of the Year, the player has to have made an impression on the other coaches as well. Any coach who saw film of De’Shaun on the field had to design a game plan around his playing. De’Shaun deserved the nomination and he was worthy of this honor. He is an impressive player and an impressive young man.”

Coach Neil McCarty, Athletic Director of Beaufort Academy, says “De’Shaun really proved himself with the adjustment to the eight man team, the adjustment to a new school and to all new classmates. He has a natural talent, a natural instinct for the game. Our team needed someone like De’Shaun, someone who was able to bring extra motivation to the team.”

In addition to De’Shaun, four other Beaufort Academy Eagles players were named to the all-region team. De’Shaun was joined on the all-region team by Jaxon Spratling, Will Warren, Edward McCormick and Daniel Richards. This has truly been a stellar season for the Eagles.

Great Season Coach Richards says, “No question that the first day of practice, we were on the field in shorts, no helmets, and De’Shaun came out and made a big impact. On every play the ball stuck to his hands. He knows the game, he understands the game. He is just a natural.”

The game that brought the eagles to the playoffs was against Cathedral Academy. For the big game De’Shaun ran 389 yards, the equivalent of almost four trips down the 100 yard field, and scored five touchdowns, bringing the Eagles to a 76-50 win. “This win brought the Eagles into the playoffs” said Coach McCarty,” This was the first year BA has been able to host a layoff game so it was pretty exciting”.

Motherly Motivation Although De’Shaun’s mother Ramie Epps parents are from Beaufort, she and her family lived in Florida where De’Shaun was raised. They moved to Beaufort a year ago, and De’Shaun briefly attended Beaufort High School before transferring to the smaller Beaufort Academy. De’Shaun made the change because Ms. Epps says, “I wanted him to be more focused, and I thought he would do well in a smaller environment.” That certainly appears to be the case, as De’Shaun has excelled on the field and is thriving in www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

17

the classroom, where history is his favorite subject.

De’Shaun has no greater fan than his mother, who attended each and every game, even the away ones. For a mother working two jobs, one of which is at night, this is no easy feat. Ms. Epps said “I made sure I always had the time off for De’Shaun’s games, even the away games. I never missed one and some were pretty far away.” Next season she will be in the stands cheering her son and his team on every game as well.

Future Plans Although still a sophomore, De’Shaun has naturally thought about where he would like to attend college and play football.

He says,” I want to go to Ohio State. I have been following their football program for years and my favorite player, Ezekiel Elliot, went to Ohio State.” As for playing goes he says, “I want to develop and have the opportunity to play quarterback, something I could see myself doing. But I will work at any position I am in, and I will work hard.”

Ms. Epps says, “De’Shaun is always talking football and he has always talked about Ohio State. And when he wasn’t talking about

18 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

football, practicing or playing a game, you could always find him working out or playing at the YMCA.” De’Shaun says he wants to study engineering and business management at college. He says, “My Grandmother showed me what engineers do, and I like that, I like creating things.”

Coach Richards says, “De’Shaun has a great opportunity here at Beaufort Academy, everyone wants him to do well and he is taking responsibility and working hard. As long as he continues to buckle down, hit the weight room and keep his grades up, he will be fine.”

Next Season Coach Richards says, “We are losing five senior players, for the second year in a row, so we have to replace those five with five new guys that want to play. We are bringing back our quarterback and, although we need to fill the offensive line I think we will be in really good shape. We are going to have a team that wants to play and I look forward to a great season.” Coach McCarty adds, “Their success has motivated the team; we are going to have a great fall.”

De’Shaun says, “My team mates are hard working and they really want to be good, and we will be even better than last season!”

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The staff at Beaufort Lifestyle would like to wish each of you a very

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We hope this holiday season is filled with love and laughter...and memories that will last a lifetime.

Julie

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Lady’s Island Middle School Robotics story by Lane Leopard

photos by Paul Nurnberg

“At bottom, robotics is about us. It is the discipline of emulating our lives, of wondering how we work.”

B

ig things are happening at Lady’s Island Middle school, with the help of their robotics team and teacher Mike Rentz.

Last season, the robotics team, “The Janitors,” were the first robotics team from Beaufort County to compete in the VEX VRC World Robotics Championship.

They were one of 160 middle schools from around the world invited to the event.

Engineering and Computer Science teacher, Mike Rentz, heads up the robotics program at Lady’s Island Middle. His undergraduate is from the US Naval Academy and his MBA is from Boston University. Rentz is a Master Teacher for the for ‘Project Lead the Way,’ a national STEM curriculum and has been teaching PLTW’s Gateway Program at Lady’s Island for 8 years.

When asked what sparked his interest in robotics and starting the team at the Lady’s Island Middle School, he replied, “One of the biggest issues our students

22 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

- Rod Grupen face, and educators face, is the lack of real world problem solving in regular school curriculum. Our students are taught, in educational silos, the 4 core subjects but very rarely get an opportunity to use those skills in solving real world problems. I see robotics as a way to bring in real world problem solving in a competitive educational environment that is student centered. Since our first VEX competition, I’ve been hooked. When you attend a VEX tournament, no one ever leaves wondering how we can get fewer students involved.”

Currently Rentz coaches three VEX Robotics teams at Lady’s Island Middle.

Team “Legends” is five eighth graders, James Dennison, Jacob Krebs, Tate Shetzer, Jonah Forrestall and James Stone. Aready winning two Excellence Awards and a Tournament Championship, they have qualified for the US Open and for the Palmetto State Championship.

Team “Metalmorphasis” is five seventh graders. “Metalmorphasis” has won a

Robot Skills Challenge Award and an Excellence Award, as well as qualifying for the US Open and for the Palmetto State Championship. They are Michael Dennison, Carson Geier, Tyson Adkins, Blake Burns and Riley Kelly.

And robotics is not just for the boys, “The Mighty Pushers” is Lady’s Island Middle Schools all girl team. The three seventh graders competing are Abigail Henry, Lily Ellis and Mackenzie McMahon.

Robotics isn’t just about the fun and games. The robotics program helps create young adults who represent themselves well. The students apply the mechanical and computer science problem solving techniques to real world problems.

“I think, in Beaufort, that there is the misconception that we don’t create students who can operate in a high tech environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spending 5 minutes with a robotics team will change that perception” Rentz says.

Building a functioning robot is no easy task. Each robot the teams build has to be able to move, have a lift system, and have the ability to interact with scoring objects.

Then every robot has to be programmed to be controlled. The students create their

codes from scratch based on what they want the robot to do. The robots have to be able to perform in two part matches, an “autonomous period,” and a driver controlled period.

Every robot at Lady Island’s Middle School is completely designed and built by the students. Mr. Rentz’s role is that of an advisor, there to assist with technicalities, and as a sound board for ideas. The students spend hours researching before ever starting the building process. They are constantly testing and finding solutions, working to improve the robots.

For now, Mr. Rentz volunteers his time spent with the team, which limits the amount of students that can participate.

With Beaufort lacking major engineering or tech firms, finding the business partners to team up with and sponsor the team can be tough. They compete from teams that are in places like Charleston, Greenville and Columbia, which are funded at a much higher level than the Lady’s Island Middle School team. They haven’t let that slow them down yet.

The team will be hosting a large tournament at Lady’s Island Middle School in January with close to 50 robotics teams from across the state competing.

www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

23

Between now and then, they will continue to improve their robots, practice, and compete in other robotics events.

Every competition the team faces is an opportunity to improve their robots, and reach the ultimate goal of qualifying for the VEX World Championships that will take place in April. The State Tournament is in March and will give the three teams a chance to qualify for VEX Worlds. The

season ends in April with a trip to Iowa for the CREATE US Open VEX Robotics Championship and hopefully a return trip VEX Worlds.

If you have interest in learning more about robotics at Lady’s Island and how you can be involved, Rentz invites you to come and visit the school and see the students.

Top row (L-R): Team Legends: Jacob Krebs, Tate Shetzer, James Dennison, James Stone, Jonah Forrestall Botom Row (L-R): Team Metalmorphasis: Michael Dennison, Tyson Adkins, Blake Burns, Carson Geier 24 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

Team Legends and Team Metalmophasis are qualified for the US Robotics Open These young students are seeking sponsors to help pay their travel expenses to Iowa for this competition.

Anyone interested in sponsoring these young men should contact Mike Rentz at Lady's Island Middle School.

(843)322-3100 or michael.rentz@beaufort. k12.sc.us

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UNITED WAY OF THE LOWCOUNTRY OPERATION HOLIDAY HEROES

U

story by Emily Burgess

nited Way of the Lowcountry is busy making spirits bright this holiday season through their Operation Holiday Heroes program that serves to ensure children in Beaufort and Jasper Counties receive food and gifts this Christmas.

Operation Holiday Heroes is a collaborative program in which the United Way partners with the Toys for Tots Foundation, The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet, Deep Well Project, Bluffton Self Help, The Salvation Army of the Lowcountry and Love House Ministries to provide gifts to thousands of children in approximately 1800 families that would not otherwise be able to afford them.

“Christmas is a magical time of year and we want every child in our community to wake up Christmas morning and experience that magic,” said Chrystie Turner, Vice President of Allocations and Community Engagement for United Way of the Lowcountry.

Families apply to participate in the program and must provide a South Carolina ID or driver’s license, proof of residence, birth certificate for each child they want gifts for, and current income/ expense information. The rigorous screening process creates accountability and assures that the generous donations are being used in the best way possible. Families can apply for Christmas assistance at the participating organizations. Each one has designated dates and times to apply that run now to December 22nd.

Through Operation Holiday Heroes, each child receives two gifts, a stocking stuffer, and a book to encourage the importance of reading. Several of the sponsors set up a “Toy Shop” in which parents can come and pick out the gifts themselves and even wrap them, allowing parents to have a more hands-on role in their child’s Christmas. The program provides gifts to children up to age 12 with a high need for gifts in the 8 to 12 age range.

Last year the number of families participating jumped to more than 1,800 from less than 1,500 two years ago, due to the impacts of Hurricane Matthew in which many families unexpectedly needed to pay for evacuation; gas, hotels, etc. In those families, 3,936 children received gifts from the program. Numbers are expected to hover in the same margin this year after Tropical

26 December 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com

Storm Irma swept through the area.

“We receive calls on our HELPLINE every day from people who are struggling to make ends meet and this time of year many parents have to make the hard choice on either spending that last paycheck before Christmas on presents to put under the tree or for utility bills to keep the lights on,” Turner said.

There are many ways for our community to participate and donate to Operation Holiday Heroes. Toys for Tots has provided boxes in businesses and stores across our county to collect new, unwrapped toys. Toys can also be dropped off to any of the United Way offices in Beaufort, Bluffton or Ridgeland, the Salvation Army, Love House Ministries, Bluffton Self Help or the Deep Well Project. Businesses can also request a Toys for Tots box to collect toys or even place a jar in their workplace for monetary donations.

United Way also suggests hosting a holiday or dinner party and asking those attending to bring gifts or financial donations to benefit the program. Donations can be made in honor or memory of a loved one as well.

Monetary donations in either cash or checks (made payable to Operation Holiday Heroes) can be dropped off or mailed to United Way of the Lowcountry at P.O. Box 202 Beaufort, SC 29901 or dropped off at the United Way Beaufort office located at 1277 Ribaut Road. Donations are being accepted through Christmas. Online donations can be made at www.uwlowcountry. org.

For those who are looking to give back this holiday season, the best place to start is right here at home in the lowcountry.

Local Partnerships United Way of the Lowcountry also partners with several local agencies who specialize in improving the lives of “at risk� children in poverty and those suffering from neglect and abuse. UWLC helps meet the immediate needs of our communityand works to create lasting positive change.

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. Make a gift online at uwlowcountry.org or text LOWCOUNTRY to 30306 Mail Donations to: P.O. Box 202, Beaufort, SC 29901

www.BeaufortLifestyle.com | December 2017

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Lee Smith is the author of 17 works of fiction including Fair and Tender Ladies, Oral History, and recent novel, Guests on Earth. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, she has received many awards including the North Carolina Award for Literature and an Academy Award in Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; her novel The Last Girls was a New York Times

bestseller as well as winner of the Southern Book Critics Circle Award.

Jill McCorkle has the distinction of having her first two novels published on the same day in 1984. Since then, she has published three other novels—most recently Life After Life, and four collections of short stories. A member of the fellowship of Southern Writers, McCorkle has received the New England Booksellers Award, the John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature, and the NorthCarolina Award for

Literature.

Marshall Chapman is a singer-songwriter- author, born and raised in Spartanburg, SC. To date, she has released 13 critically acclaimed albums. Her latest, Blaze of Glory, was hailed a masterpiece. Chapman’s songs have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Joe Cocker, Irma Thomas, Jimmy Buffett, and many others. In 2010, Chapman landed her first movie role, playing Gwyneth Paltrow’s road manager in Country Strong.

The evening starts at 6:30 p.m, on Friday, December 15, at USCB Center for the Arts (805 Carteret Street). General admission is $45 and reserved seating (including a private reception with the performers) is $75. Tickets are on sale through the USCB Center for the Arts box office: 843-521-4145 or www. uscbcenterforthearts.com.

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