About LEAD
The goal of LEAD Upstate is to bridge the local community and law enforcement together in the name of appreciation and gratitude. LEAD Upstate provides an opportunity for residents to say thank you to all law enforcement personnel in Greenville County, including Greenville, Greer, Traveler’s Rest, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn. Our sponsors are honored to host this event and participate by serving breakfast and handing out prizes. It truly means so much to the men and women who courageously dedicate their lives each day to serve and protect the citizens of their communities every day.
LEAD Upstate History
Seabrook Marchant, the founder of LEAD Upstate, has always held a special appreciation for law enforcement officers. As a previous member of the Civil Service Commission for Greenville, Seabrook was responsible for helping to hire police and firefighters for the city of Greenville. Through his service, Seabrook became well-acquainted with the needs, concerns, and triumphs of those within the law enforcement profession.
It was Seabrook’s numerous encounters with officers at Tommy’s Ham House that conceived the LEAD Upstate event. After witnessing an inordinate amount of police personnel at Tommy’s Ham House waiting for breakfast, Seabrook and a friend decided to buy their meals as a token of their appreciation. This was the small catalyst for the event, growing larger every year as Seabrook found appreciative sponsors to continue this tradition. There came a need for a bigger venue as “the law enforcement breakfast at Tommy’s Ham House” amassed more popularity amongst different municipal offices. After arranging accommodations at Westin Poinsett, officers were invited to come between shifts to enjoy breakfast and fellowship with one another. In addition to meal accommodations, each officer received “valor bags” filled with gifts from local businesses, organizations and sponsors, a tradition that is still kept today.
The LEAD Upstate Event
In its early years, LEAD Upstate was hosted as a sit down breakfast at The Westin Poinsett in Downtown Greenville. However, due to COVID-19, LEAD was transformed into a drive-through event in 2020, organized at the Greenville Convention Center and was the most successful function to date! The drive-through format allowed officers to stop by in between their shifts, allowing more officers to be served. Due to the overwhelming positive feedback received from last year’s event, the 2021 LEAD event will be hosted again at the Greenville Convention Center!
Upon arriving, officers will receive a complimentary breakfast box, coffee, a LEAD t-shirt, and valor bag filled with giveaway items. The reusable tote bags are graciously donated by an event sponsor, as are the contents inside. Items often include gift certificates to local restaurants, coupons, and various promotional items from local businesses. Another fan-favorite of the LEAD Upstate event is the various prize drawings. A large portion of the funds raised are used to buy big-ticket items to give away to officers registered for the event. In past years, items such as flat screen televisions, iPads, Apple Watches, Amazon Alexas, free rounds of golf, and much more have been gifted.
How to Get Involved
As the LEAD Upstate event continues to grow, any support is greatly appreciated and encouraged. To ensure this LEAD 2021 is a success, we are in need of volunteers to help facilitate this event. We are also
actively seeking donations, either in the form of monetary sponsorship or donations to the valor bags or giveaway prizes. Without your support, we would be unable to show our immense gratitude to the men and women who courageously dedicate their lives each day to serve the citizens of their communities.
Please visit our website to learn more about what we do, why we do it, and who we are serving. You can also find more sponsorship and contact information there as well.