Helping Out highlights some of the many charitable events and activities going on in the Charleston area. Submissions should be sent to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com.
The 13th annual Race for The ARK is set for Aug. 25 in Summerville. The event winds through historic downtown Summerville on a USATF-sanctioned course. The 5K race raises funds to support vital services for families dealing with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia in Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Colleton and Orangeburg counties. The run/walk also features a corporate challenge. Companies can field a five-person team for $350. The winning team holds the traveling trophy for the year. Atlanta Bread Co. in Summerville has held the trophy for the past two years.
In early March, Foster Friess, philanthropist and long-time supporter of Water Missions International, presented a $125,000 matching grant to provide implementation of a cutting-edge community development program called TradeWater. He committed to match gifts received by May 31. On May 22, Water Missions International exceeded this match by raising more than $130,000, totaling $255,000 for the TradeWater program. Implementation of these funds will start immediately with a project launching in Malawi.
TradeWater, a nonprofit program designed to transform and sustain the business of water, will be using innovative LifeLink technology that was first introduced with a pilot program in Kikondo, Uganda. Projects that will be implemented with these matching funds will start in Malawi and Uganda and will continue into Indonesia and Haiti, all of which have permanent Water Missions International offices with full-time staff. To learn more, visit blog.watermissions.org.
The American College of the Building Arts received 4,000 volumes of rare books, journals and other literary works related to the building and decorative arts from craftsman Richard O. Byrne of Staunton, Va. The collection enhances the 2,000 volumes currently in circulation at the college. The collection has materials from the 18th century and includes a set of works by French art critic, writer and encyclopedist Denis Diderot. Other notable items include an extensive Antiques Magazine collection dating back to the 1930s; numerous foreign volumes that are not currently in collections in the United States, and thousands of supporting materials on the decorative arts, including textiles, oriental rugs, silver, wallpapers and decorative painting.
The American College of the Building Arts renovated one of the main cell blocks in the Old Charleston District Jail, circa 1802, to house the collection with support from Ziff Properties Inc., U-Haul Industries of South Carolina, Bozelli Heating and Air, Ecco Electric and Interior Woodworking of Johns Island. The collection is be catalogued and will be open to the public through a cooperative agreement with Clemson University, the College of Charleston and the Charleston County Public Library System this fall.
Outreach to families in need through The Benefit Bank SC has been such a success that Trident United Way will soon use additional AmeriCorps members in agencies throughout the tri-county area. In 2011, 45 partner organizations and schools helped local residents of all ages claim $4.2 million in unclaimed benefits that have been used to feed families, provide access to medical care and access to medication for the elderly and disabled. Learn more about the program here.
The first Charleston Beer Garden, inspired by the festive biergartens of Germany, will be June 23 at Brittlebank Park. The festival features a lineup of craft brews and treats from the Food Truck rodeo within the festival grounds. Enjoy an afternoon of live music, featuring Charleston home-grown bands, beer school classes, cornhole, homebrew supplies and a 14-person photo booth. The event is from 1-8 p.m. rain or shine. Tickets are $25 in advance; 10% of ticket sales benefit Pet Helpers.
