This month, Make-A-Wish South Carolina elected Meredith Dial, marketing manager for Dial Grimm and Rupert, to the chapter’s board of directors. “We are overjoyed to add Meredith Dial as a director to our board. We are honored to have another director who understands our mission so well. Meredith embodies aContinue Reading

Local personality Charlie Benton spoke to the St. Andrews Optimist Club on September 15. Benton hosted an AM radio talk show with his father for several years and now coaches sales organizations regarding their sales techniques and their promotional/advertising efforts. Pictured are Club President Larry Blosser, Benton, and speaker sponsorContinue Reading

St. Andrews Optimists received a presentation by Gabrielle Johansson on May 5. Johansson, a recent graduate of USC, is an Education Specialist at the Anne Frank Center, located on the USC campus. It is the only such center in the United States that partners with the Anne Frank Center headquartersContinue Reading

On May 19, St. Andrews Optimists received an update on the work of Palmetto Place with a presentation from Laird Weaver, recently appointed Development Manager. Weaver, who has become fluent in the operation of Palmetto Place in a very short time, addressed the mission and volunteer opportunities there. Palmetto PlaceContinue Reading

The March 31 speaker for the Optimist Club of Irmo-St. Andrews was Courtney Dennis, Irmo Town Manager. Dennis has a long association with the Club, beginning early-on with his representation of the police Explorer Post, a cause the Club has supported for several years. He rose through the ranks ofContinue Reading

St. Andrews Optimists’ February 3 speaker was Floyd Lyles, Superintendent of Education at The Department of Juvenile Justice. Lyles attended Benedict College where he credits a professor who saw much potential in him and who became a source of encouragement. Finishing Benedict with his Bachelor’s Degree, he completed his postgraduateContinue Reading

On January 20, St. Andrews Optimists welcomed Samantha Huff from the Multiplying Good organization as its featured speaker. Huff’s official title is  Manager, Community Events and Special Programs. Multiplying Good was founded in 1972 as a collaboration between Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr., and Sam Beard. The ideaContinue Reading

Ebonee Clark, from Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), was the featured speaker at the January 6 meeting of the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo. Clark is the Assistant Director for Advocacy at the Center in Lexington.  DCAC serves children, aged from infancy to 18 years old, who have experienced someContinue Reading

At the St. Andrews Optimists’ December 9 meeting, Councilman Bill Danielson unveiled an aerial diagram of the current proposed project to connect Woodrow Street with Irmo Town Park. The diagram overlaid the property parcels that will have to be bought in that process. If those properties are acquired then landContinue Reading

Erinn Rowe, CEO of Harvest Hope Food Bank, spoke on November 11 to the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo. She gave the group the background context for the need for Harvest Hope and provided insight into facts and figures that affect the organization’s work. With distribution centers in Columbia, Florence,Continue Reading