The Powdersville Business Council for their Rhythm on the River event and Main Street Laurens for the Piedmont Blues and Roots Music Festival were the $5,000 recipients of the 2019 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Grants as announced by Phil Hughes during Ten at the Top’s 10th anniversary event on November 20th. Hughes also pledged to give $1,000 each to the other three finalists if they complete their proposed projects.
Gordon Brush of the Powdersville Business Council accepts the Elevate Upstate Grant for Rhythm on the River from Phil Hughes of Hughes Investments
Rhythm on the River, a community event designed to bring families and businesses together in the Powdersville community, will take place on May 2, 2020, at Dolly Cooper Park with family activities, music, and food trucks.
Piedmont Blues and Roots Music Festival will take place in downtown Laurens on May 9, 2020, celebrating the Piedmont Blues music that has roots in Laurens.
The other three finalists were A Common Thread: Textiles Past and Present (Arts Center of Greenwood), Trains on Main (Main Street Clinton SC), and Peg Leg Bates Dance Showcase (City of Fountain Inn).
The five finalists were chosen from a total of 23 applications submitted for the two grants available in 2019. Hughes Investments contributes at least $10,000 per year to the program with two recipients each year receiving $5,000 to support a new vibrancy initiative in the Upstate. The program began in 2013 in conjunction with a series of Community Vibrancy Workshops hosted by Ten at the Top. Since the inception of the grants program, Hughes Investments has contributed a total of $93,000 to 29 community vibrancy initiatives across the Upstate.
Dr. Fay Sprouse, Superintendent of the Ware Shoals 51 School District, received the Burdette Leadership Award for demonstrating “service over self” throughout her career.
During Ten at the Top’s Celebrating Successes Brunch on Wednesday, November 20, Ware Shoals School District Superintendent Dr. Fay Sprouse and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina were recognized for contributions to enhancing the Upstate region. Sprouse received the Burdette Leadership Award while BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina was recognized with the Welling Award for Regional Collaboration.
This marks the fourth year of the Burdette Leadership Award and is given in recognition of Carol Burdette, the first female chair of Ten at the Top. It honors women who have both served and led across the Upstate. Previous recipients of the Burdette Award are Minor Shaw, Dr. Becky Campbell and SC Representative Chandra Dillard.
Scott Graves, President, Private Business Division at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, accepted the Welling Award for Regional Collaboration on behalf of BlueCross BlueShield.
The Welling Award for Regional Collaboration, named after Ten at the Top founding chairman Irv Welling, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated longstanding involvement in encouraging collaboration across jurisdictional and stakeholder boundaries. Previous recipients of the Welling Award include Erwin Maddrey, Phil Hughes, GSP International Airport, Dean Hybl, Minor Shaw, Carol Burdette, Rick Danner, Terence Roberts and Bobby Hitt.
In addition, Ten at the Top recognized companies and organizations celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2019 as Max Metcalf from BMW Manufacturing, which is celebrating 25 years in the Upstate, provided a celebratory toast. These companies and organizations are an integral part of the Upstate’s rich history and have each played a role in making our regional community a great place to live, learn, do business, and raise a family.
Celebrating Successes is an annual event presented by BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina. Ten at the Top annually hosts public forums, workshops and other events across the Upstate on issues of regional significance with the overarching goal of building consensus, encouraging regional thinking, and enabling leaders to set aside parochial priorities in order to address critical challenges and visualize opportunities for the future.
This year’s event was particularly special for Ten at the Top as the non-profit celebrated 10 years in the Upstate. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster served as the keynote speaker for the event.
November 19th, 2019 [Greenville, SC]—As part of an ongoing series addressing issues facing seniors in the Upstate, Ten at the Top will be hosting a workshop focused on non-medical home care needs on Tuesday, December 3rd from 9:30-11:00 a.m. The session, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Park 37 Community Building located at 250 Executive Center Drive in Greenville. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
With the number of Upstate residents over the age of 65 projected to rise from roughly 12% of the total population in 2010 to more than 25% by 2030, the Ten at the Top Senior Issues Committee is focusing on educating and raising awareness amongst community stakeholders around important issues facing our seniors today and into the future.
Surveys repeatedly show a majority of seniors prefer to live at home, even if that means living alone. In fact, the portion of homeowners across the country over the age of 65 has been increasing in recent years. Seniors who choose to age in their homes can face unforeseen challenges with home maintenance, isolation from the community, and vulnerability to fraudulent scams. The workshop panelists will cover a range of topics relating to these issues.
The panel will be moderated by James Bennett, Owner and Manager of Upstate Homecare Solutions. Panelists are Dorinne Dubois, Homecare Manager, Appalachian Council of Governments; Vee Daniel, President & CEO, Better Business Bureau of the Upstate; Annette Cook, Director of Senior Adult Ministries, Christ Church Episcopal; and Dayle Stewart, Assistant Director, Rebuild Upstate.
James Bennett, Owner of Upstate Homecare Solutions, hopes to encourage participation in this event and stresses the importance of this issue, saying, “Data has already proven that people are living longer than ever before. Aging in place is not only the most desired option for seniors but it’s also the most effective way for seniors to age in place with dignity and grace. Now is the time to think about and plan for long-term care as it pertains to your senior relatives. Join us as we take a deep dive and discuss the current issues surrounding home care for seniors and hopefully provide you with a game plan to help your senior family members live out the best of their golden years!”
This is the fourth and final senior issues workshop to be hosted by Ten at the Top in 2019. The workshop series is sponsored by Upstate Homecare Solutions and the Better Business Bureau of the Upstate.
Though there is no cost to attend the workshop, advanced registration is requested. You can click here to learn more about the workshop and register.
Ten at the Top (TATT), an organization created to foster collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate, has announced the finalists for the 2019 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.
The five finalists were chosen from a total of 23 applications submitted for the two grants available in 2019. Hughes Investments is contributing $10,000 per year to the program with two recipients each year receiving $5,000 to support a new vibrancy initiative in the Upstate. The program began in 2013 in conjunction with a series of Community Vibrancy Workshops hosted by Ten at the Top. Since the inception of the grants program, Hughes Investments has contributed a total of $80,000 to community vibrancy initiatives across the Upstate.
Prior to the Ten at the Top Celebrating Successes luncheon on November 20th, the five finalists will each provide a brief overview of their initiative before the 2019 recipients are selected and announced at the luncheon. The finalists’ presentation will be held from 10:30–11:15 a.m., and there is no cost to attend, although registration is requested. The cost to attend the luncheon is $50, and prior registration is required. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at the Greenville Convention Center, with Governor McMaster as the guest speaker. To register for either event, go to www.tenatthetop.org or contact Sharon Purvis at spurvis@tenatthetop.org.
Below are the five finalists (project name, applying organization, and brief summary):
Rhythm on the River – Powdersville Business Council The Powdersville Business Council (an extension of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce) is looking to promote and sponsor Rhythm on the River, an event designed to bring families and businesses together in an unprecedented manner for the Powdersville community. This event will take place in the spring of 2020 at a local county park.
A Common Thread: Textiles Past and Present – Arts Center of Greenwood In Greenwood, textile mills began to dominate the business scene in the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s. The mills and mill villages played a vital role in the life of this county. The Arts Center and The Museum will present exhibits and events in the fall of 2020 to honor our textile history and to educate and entertain visitors and residents. The themed event, A Common Thread: Textiles Past and Present will be a review of the institution of textile mills, village life, and more current trends in the commercial and artistic realm of textiles.
Piedmont Blues and Roots Music Festival – Main Street Laurens The Piedmont Blues and Roots Music Festival will be a celebration of the rich past Laurens has with blues, jazz, and even rock music genres. The event will be held in Downtown Laurens and will focus on the traditional piedmont blues music, mill hill blues, and other types of music that have played such an important role in music history. There will even be an opportunity to highlight local record companies and local bands who produced their own records back in the day!
Trains on Main – Main Street Clinton The young and young at heart all love to stop and watch the trains as they roll through the City of Clinton, parallel to Main Street. Trains have long been a part of Clinton, so what better way to showcase this history than with Trains on Main. Model trains provided by the Copper family, the participation of downtown businesses, and Main Street Clinton volunteers, can all make this possible. The model trains will be on display and operating along the top perimeter walls of local businesses, in hopes of attracting local Clintonians and visitors from afar to step in and take a gander.
Peg Leg Bates Dance Showcase – City of Fountain Inn The Peg Leg Bates Dance Showcase will be an exciting opportunity for local dance groups to participate in a free and fun event at the Fountain Inn Activities Center. This Showcase is open to all dance groups, however, the purpose of this project is to create a premiere dance event for groups who may not be able to afford or have access to traditional dance events/competitions. The goal is to have at least ten local dance acts participate throughout the day of the event. The idea is not necessarily to compete, but to highlight extraordinary local talent in the area of dance while creating an opportunity to celebrate an amazing native of Fountain Inn and his accomplishments.
The selection committee for the Elevate Upstate Grants Program includes Phil Hughes (President, Hughes Investments), Ingo Angermeier (Retired, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System), and Terence Roberts (Mayor, City of Anderson).
Ten at the Top’s (TATT) annual Celebrating Successes luncheon will be held on November 20th from 11:30–1:30 at the Greenville Convention Center. The event recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals who are helping to make the Upstate a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family.
This year’s event is also the culmination of Ten at the Top’s 10th anniversary year as TATT has hosted community workshops and events across the 10-county region in 2019.
As part of the 10th anniversary celebration, TATT is pleased to announce that the special guest speaker for the luncheon will be South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. He will talk about how collaboration and building partnerships is crucial to the success of South Carolina.
Dean Hybl, executive director of TATT, said, “Over the past decade, Ten at the Top has been convening and building collaborative relationships that have served to strengthen our region, and we look forward to what the next decade brings in terms of more opportunities to grow our collective capacity in the Upstate.”
During the luncheon, Ten at the Top will recognize “Power of 10” Founding Funding Partners—those who have partnered with TATT every year since the inception of the organization—as well as organizations and businesses celebrating milestone anniversaries of 20 or more years in 2019. The annual Welling Award for Collaboration and the Burdette Leadership Award will also be announced.
Prior to the luncheon, the five finalists for the 2019 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Vibrancy Grants will make their grant presentations. Hughes Investments will also be hosting coffee and networking prior to the luncheon.
focused on non-medical home care needs on Tuesday, December 3
2019 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.
recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals who are helping to make the Upstate a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family.