Community Connection

PHOTOS MONTH OF THE

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1. A beautiful sunset at Sea Pines Country Club photographed by Ed Pabich. 2. Joan Weaver captured this image at Sea Pines.

“ community connection ”

Manalo

HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES YOUTH WINNERS

Sixteen-year-old Ewan Manalo, a cellist from Ooltewah, Tenn., won the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s 2022 Youth Concerto Competition. Manalo captured the top prize, performing the final movement of Edward Elgar’s Concerto in E minor, Op. 85. The top prize includes a cash award plus the opportunity to perform with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra during the 2022-2023 season. Violinist Leila Warren, 12, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., won second prize. Seventeen-year-old violinist Jeremiah Jun-seo Jung from Suwanee, Ga., won third prize. The Special Achievement Award was presented to violinist Seunne Khoo from Cary, N.C. A playlist of the competition is available on YouTube.

ROTARY CLUB OF BLUFFTON ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS

The Rotary Club of Bluffton is accepting applications from local 501(c)(3) organizations for grants awarded through their charitable giving program. The Club offers grants up to $5,000 to qualified nonprofits. To qualify, organizations must serve individuals or families that live or work in or near Bluffton. The deadline for submitting applications is March 16. For more information, visit blufftonrotary.org.

DAR HONORS MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

The Emily Geiger Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, recently honored Kelly Jardin of May River High School as the winner of the “Outstanding Teacher of American History” with a certificate, monetary award, and history books for her classroom. Jardin has taught at May River HS since 2016 with courses including U.S. History, U.S. History Honors, psychology and teacher cadets. The emphasis of the award is to recognize a notable, full-time teacher of

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American History (and related fields, such as social studies, government, and citizenship education) in public, private and parochial schools, grades 5–12.

BLUFFTON HIGH EDUCATOR NAMED SCHOOL COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR

Woodie L. Melton IV, a Bluffton High School counselor, is the Beaufort County School District’s 2022 School Counselor of the Year. The district also recognized H.E. McCracken’s Laura Mason as Middle School Counselor of the Year, Hilton Head Island Elementary’s Jessica Barnes as Elementary School Counselor of the Year, and River Ridge Academy’s Torri McCullough as Rookie School Counselor of the Year. Melton has been at Bluffton High for five years.

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE PILGRIMS INDUCTS OFFICERS

The South Carolina Branch of the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims held its annual meeting and induction of 2022 officers at the Yacht Club of Hilton Head Island. Officers inducted are Ivan Bennett (Branch Governor); Mari Noorai (Corresponding Secretary); Diana Luellen (Recording Secretary); Sandra Gibson (Registrar); Mary Ann Compher (Treasurer); Levada Keeling (Historian); Nancy Burke (Elder); Matthew Dupee, Esq (VP Program Venue Aiken); and Bobby Baker, MD (VP Program Charleston).

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM KICKS OFF

The Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton and the Bluffton Police Department have partnered to offer the 2022 Explorers’ L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, Determination) program. The program offers weekly classes led by SRO Officer David Ur and members of the Bluffton Police Department on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Started

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in 2012, Explorers’ L.E.A.D. provides preteens and teens with an in-depth look at all aspects of careers in law enforcement and the military. For more information, call 843-757-2845 or email pamela.castle@bgclowcountry.org.

UNITED WAY OF THE LOWCOUNTRY’S WOMEN UNITED SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR AWARD

United Way of the Lowcountry’s Women United seeks nominations for its 2022 Woman of the Year Award. The award recognizes a Lowcountry woman who has made a difference in the community. Nominations are being accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8. The nomination form is at uwlowcountry. org/2022wuaward. The award will be presented March 24. For more information, contact Bethany Marcinkowski at 843-8372000 or bethanym@uwlowcountry.org.

LOWCOUNTRY’S LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY WOMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

Lindsay Edwards of Bluffton has been nominated as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 2022 Woman of the Year candidate. The Live Life Strong Team is raising money through April 29, with every dollar going to LLS. For more, visit livelifestrongteam.com.

DOMINION ENERGY AWARDS GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS

The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation recently awarded more than $350,000 to 21 South Carolina nonprofits. Locally, the Beaufort County Open Land Trust’s (Beaufort) grant will fund the design and installation of three environmental education kiosks placed at Widgen Point Preserve and Capers Creek Scenic Vista. The 170-acre Widgen Point Preserve includes a three-quarter mile walking trail. The Capers Creek Vista kiosk will provide interpretation of what visitors may learn about the rich marsh habitat.

LOCAL FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO MAKE A NATIONAL IMPACT

Jesse’s Wish KEEPS ON GIVING

BY AMY BARTLETT | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN

When Jesse Spina was a pre-teen battling Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, his eye was on a prize bigger than his own struggles: “helping his friends from the hospital.”

He began to hatch ideas to make a difference from his own hospital room, the effects of which are still making ripples today through the Bluffton-based 501 (c)3 nonprofit, Jesse’s Wish Foundation.

Today Jesse would have been in his 30s; his family recently held a birthday party fundraiser celebrating the memory of a life that could have been, and the life that in a sense was, considering the ongoing impact of his desire to help.

Jesse, his family and his mother Marian Newell, knew well the ripple effects of grace and giving and how “all things work together for good.” It’s what fueled Jesse’s efforts when he started hosting blood and bone marrow drives in his local community to increase donors and multiply the chances of finding a match.

This relational beginning formed a foundation that stands apart through its personal touch.

“We are a small personal foundation,” Newell said. “We don’t give cash; we want to get to know what a child is about, what they like, what makes them happiest, and give them a personal gift.”

To accomplish this, the foundation developed a process of referrals and references for directing resources.

“We require a letter from the hospital social worker and work through referrals — friends of friends. Unfortunately, cancer is so predominant, you have a lot of friends of friends with cancer.”

Their website lists ways they gift families, which Newell explains are things most needed by “parents staying overnight with kids in hospitals,” most commonly gift cards like DoorDash, Target and Walmart.

“However,” Newell says, “we want to gift the child something that will make them excited,” like crafts to keep kids engaged with so much downtime, personalized gifts like an Alabama college sweatshirt that gave one child a dream to hold onto, and Firesticks and Disney+ accounts which especially blessed a child in isolation, kept company by a lineup of magic and laughter.

Newell describes these as “whatever a kid needs for a little bit of joy going through such a horrific time in their lives.”

Jesse’s story weaves in and out of the Lowcountry