LETTER: Special thanks to local businesses

The members of the Carolina Elementary School Foundation (CESEF) would like to send a huge word of thanks to the local businesses and individuals who supported our recent Annual Golf Tournament. This event has contributed to the great success of the foundation because of the fantastic support we receive year after year right here in Hartsville.

The foundation is a parent-run volunteer organization and all monies raised go directly into the classrooms at Carolina Elementary. The foundation is proud of an extremely successful fundraising record since its inception in 1999.

In recent years the foundation has been able to fund a great number of requests made by our teachers. Often funds simply aren’t available through other budgets to accommodate all the needs of our teachers. This is where CESEF steps in and provides for those needs … needs that ultimately enhance classroom instruction. Enrichment and enhancement in the classroom are two goals the foundation strives to achieve.

Some of the items funded in recent years include laptops, interactive whiteboards, math manipulatives, computer software, digital camera, dictionaries, thesauruses, first grade literacy assistance, magnetic kits for science experiments, a butterfly pavilion, classroom math libraries, materials for literacy group and P.E. equipment. For 2008-09, the foundation in conjunction with the PTO was able to fund new desks and chairs for both fourth grade classrooms.

CESEF sponsors several fundraising events throughout the year, but the annual golf tournament has proven to be our most important endeavor. We wish to thank all those involved for the incredible support. We encourage readers to support all of the businesses mentioned below as these businesses have shown, and continue to show, great support for education in Hartsville.

We especially want to thank Kiwanis Club of Hartsville for its lead sponsorship. This organization demonstrates year after year its commitment to education in Hartsville.

Other outstanding businesses that contributed by sponsoring carts are Carolina Bank, First Citizens, Heritage Community Bank and West Oil & The Markette. Our fantastic hole sponsors were Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Burry Bookstore, CareSouth Carolina, Jackson Family Chiropractic, Carolina Elementary School staff, The Conner Law Firm, Mr. B’s Seafood Restaurant, State Rep. Jay Lucas, MKA Mechanical, Merry-Go-Round Children’s Resale Shop, Welch & Bonds Orthodontists, Morphis Pediatric Group, Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home, Dr. Leroy F. Robinson Women’s Care, Pee Dee Eye Associates, Palmetto Brick and Smith Watts & Associates. The fine businesses and individuals donating items for players and the raffle include 60 Minute Cleaners, Ace Hardware, Bizzells, Hartsville Country Club, Vicki Hudson, Shell Oil/Chip Harper, Bank of America, YMCA, Young Pecans, Coker College, Glamour House, Sonoco, The Chip Harper Family, Vonciel Holloman, Mr. B’s Seafood Restaurant, Meredith Askins, Vintage and Pee Dee Eye Associates.

This year we recognize the following family sponsors: Debby and Johnny Andrews, the Loren Griggs family, the McCoy family, the Alvarez family, the Newsome family, the Lefew family, the Cherry family, the Grantham family, the Pennington family and the Harless family.

CESEF has sponsored this event for six years with this year’s event at the Hartsville Country Club. We appreciate so much that they have been gracious in accommodating this event for the majority of those years.

We would finally like to thank the many golfers who committed to this event. It was evident in the fellowship and sportsmanship of all participants that a good time was had by all. The winning team included Jamie Morphis, Dick Coker, Glenn Evans and Lewis Brown. The second place team included Chip Harper, Brian Meyers, Wayne Bryant and Frank Butler. The third place team included Dan Goff, Joseph Tingen, Paul Brown and Sambo Hendricks. Congratulations!

Again, to all those who helped make this a great event, including our hardworking parent volunteers, we extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for your many forms of generosity.

If you would like to join our foundation or would like additional information, please contact Carolina Elementary at (843) 857-3230.