Community Winners

One award was given to Jasper County, SC, to help in the restoration of their farmer's market in Ridgeland. You'll enjoy the video on their website, about how an old bean shed became Jasper County Farmer's Market and Auction Center. This season, the retail market will be open on Fridays, beginning April 24.

At Riverview Charter School in Beaufort, volunteers from the Ward Edwards Company will help start a school-community program. Students will be able to learn about the region's local history, culture, and natural environment. In Hardeeville, they will work with the Jasper County School District in curriculum development. The High School and the Middle School Math/Science and Engineering Academy will be involved.

Lowcountry Local First, of North Charleston, SC, received a grant. The dollars will go toward LLF's development of Farm Fresh Food Guide, a local food directory to go online this spring. Another innovation of LLF, in partnership with the SC Department of Agriculture, is already in place: A few dozen restaurants have agreed to buy at least 25% of their menu from the State's sources. They display the Fresh on the Menu logo, shown at left.

And one of the stewardship awards went to the City of Savannah, GA, to make the city more bicycle friendly. This supports their Thrive Initiative; it began when the Mayor and City Council members signed a pledge to do everything they could to promote a healthy, sustainable environment in Savannah.

These five projects will receive a total of $9,000 in grants or in-kind contributions in this year's Healthy Community Grant Program. The competition, sponsored by the Ward Edwards Company, encourages non-profit organizations that want to improve the environment in coastal South Carolina and Georgia.

“New ideas, like the projects promoted by our grants, are the best economic development, and we need that more than ever in these difficult financial times,” said Allen Ward, President of Ward Edwards. Congratulations to the winners; and also to the company, for their vision and important contributions to the area.