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SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894
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FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
Colbert funds Sumter, Lee, Clarendon county class projects BY ADRIENNE SARVIS AND KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY adrienne@theitem.com and konstantin@theitem.com Many teachers in the state have received an unexpected surprise as Stephen Colbert, the former host of “The Col-
bert Report” on Comedy Central, and two organizations partnered up to fund every South Carolina project on a COLBERT crowd-funding site in honor of Teacher Ap-
preciation Week on Thursday. Through a partnership with Share Fair Nation and ScanSource, Colbert donated $800,000 to donorschoose.org to fund nearly 1,000 projects for 800 teachers at more than 375 schools across the state, including eight schools in Sum-
ter School District, St. Paul Elementary School in Summerton, Manning Elementary School and Bishopville Primary School with a combined total of $10,944. The 15 local projects ranged from about $150 to a little more than $2,500.
“DonorsChoose.org makes it so easy to have an impact and connect directly with the teachers and students you’re helping,” Colbert, a South Carolina native, said in a news release. A member of donorschoose.org
SEE COLBERT, PAGE A6
McClary inspires at Prayer Breakfast
Clebe McClary delivers the keynote address to the crowd attending the Sumter Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at Alice Drive Baptist Church on Thursday morning. KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com More than 350 people attended the Sumter Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at Alice Drive Baptist Church, 1305 Loring Mill Road, on Thursday morning. The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast is a community event held every year on the National Day of Prayer to focus on the importance of faith within the Sumter community. The theme of this year’s breakfast was “Lord, hear our cry.” The event is funded through ticket sales, donations and sponsorships; no public money is used. Members of the community led attendees through prayers for the government, military, media, business and industry, education, church and family.
SEE BREAKFAST, PAGE A6
HENRY CLARKE BYNUM • 1932 - 2015
Businessman remembered for quietly serving his community Sumter businessman Henry Bynum, 82, died Wednesday. Bynum was the husband of Patricia “Pat” Ann Lanius Bynum for 60 years. Bynum, a 1950 graduate of Edmunds High School, received a bachelor’s degree from Wofford College in 1954. He began working in the insurance business in 1959. He was in business at Bynum Insurance with his sons, Ed Bynum and the late Clarke Bynum, for many years. “He was a wonderful father and business partner, and I was certainly blessed to have been able to work beside him each day,” Ed Bynum said. “He modeled what being a Christian business owner was about for me and my brother Clarke.” Bobby Richardson, retired New York Yankees baseball player, knew Bynum since childhood. “Growing up, we played a lot of bas-
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ketball together at YMCA and hunted,” Richardson said. During Richardson’s career with the Yankees, Bynum would come up to visit him in New York. BYNUM Richardson will be the eulogist at Bynum’s funeral. “He was one of my closest friends, and I will miss him dearly,” he said. Jim Jones and his family have been close friends of the Bynums since moving to Sumter in 1966. He said Bynum and his father were golfing buddies and that their families had been involved in business together throughout the years. “His legacy to me can be summed up in these four things: a man who loved his hometown and invested himself in its betterment; a man that instilled Christian values in his children; a man who faithfully loved
his wife, Pat; and a man who passionately served the Lord throughout his life,” Jones said. “Henry, just like his siblings Billy, May and Alvis, made Sumter a better place to live.” Dr. Bob Wimberly, a retired Sumter dentist, knew Bynum since 1965. They were golfing buddies who spent a lot of time on and off the course together. “He had a great sense of humor that many people would not have known about if they weren’t close to him,” Wimberly said. Mayor Joe McElveen said Bynum’s impact on the community was unparalleled. “Henry Bynum was the perfect gentleman, soft-spoken and humble,” McElveen said. “He and his family have been quietly involved in many community organizations throughout the years.” Steve Creech, former mayor of Sum-
DEATHS, B5 AND B6 Henry Clarke Bynum Edna Evans Stallard Opal Mae M. Chambers Charles Ellis Stafford Sr. Carrie F. Frierson Susan Mae Felder
Romeo O’Neal Cooper Sr. Dan Wells Jr. Robert L. Moses Richard D. McFadden W. David Griggs Winfred L. Williams
ter, said his father and Bynum were close friends. “He was a leader in the insurance business and the community,” Creech said. “He was also a dedicated family member and a good Christian. He will be missed by everyone.” Bynum served as president of the YMCA board of directors and as chairman of the Wilson Hall School Board. He was a member of the National Bank of South Carolina Advisory Board, a board member of Sunset Country Club and a former member of Sumter Rotary Club. He served as president of Sumter Independent Insurance Agents. Bynum was a member of Mount Vernon Coffee Club for 47 years. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church. — Konstantin Vengerowsky
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Mostly sunny and breezy today with a 30 percent chance of showers; clearing by evening, partly cloudy tonight. HIGH 84, LOW 64
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