Civitans celebrate 65 years in Colleton

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By VICKI BROWN

The Colleton County Civitan Club is turning 65 this year. The members met on Thursday, October 28 at the Dogwood Hills Country Club to celebrate the anniversary.

Civitan President Edward Bryant, from Enterprise Bank, said he was happy to be there to participate in the celebration. “This is great. I have been a member for five years. It’s a good club, and we have had good people who have been a part of the group before us,” said Bryant.

Bryant went on to lead the group in donating $500 to First Steps, a program that assisted 268 families and 395 children last year in Colleton County, with the help of community donations.

“We have always been a civic-minded club, and tried to help those less fortunate,” said Donald Davis, a longtime club member. Davis also served as a president of the Civitans Club in 1971 and as secretary. He let the club know that they were also giving away three scholarships to students at Salkehatchie.

The Walterboro’s Civitans’ members have a long history of serving the community by awarding scholarships, donating to Colleton First Steps, working with veterans, helping with Special Olympics, recognizing clergy and teachers, feeding Mission Serve teens, donating money for research hospitals, autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, brain cancer, epilepsy, the Red Cross, handicapped ramps and hurricane recovery.

“We are proud of what we accomplish in Civitan,” said Davis, “Sixty-five years is a long time, and this organization has been important to the community.”

The members make up a cross section of citizens who have a wide variety of professions and who are all civic minded.

In honor of the group’s birthday celebration, Walterboro Mayor Bill Young read a proclamation congratulating the club on its achievements and assistance to the community.

“Civitan comes from a Latin word ‘civitas’, meaning citizen. Walterboro Civitan has always served their fellow man and helped those less fortunate, especially those with special needs,” said Young. “Therefore, I proclaim October 28, 2021 as International Civitan Club Day and recognize the efforts of the club and their service.”

At the anniversary celebration, the members enjoyed reminiscing about past experiences with their best-known fundraiser, selling the “World’s Largest Pot of Rice” at the county’s annual Walterboro-Colleton County Rice Festival. Their endeavors have made the Rice Festival what it is today.

Past president Arnold Zipperer laughed about trying to set up the Rice Festival booth from year to year. “I couldn’t remember which was the front and which was the back, and Dr. Trent Cannon was the only person small enough to climb up and attach the roof,” said Zipperer.

Michael Padgett also told newer members about making the rice at different locations and driving it to the Rice Festival booth. “Eventually someone came up with the idea to use a cast iron cauldron used to make sugar cane syrup to make the rice,” said Padgett. The money made from the giant pot of rice goes to support the many charities of the club.

“We have tried for 65 years to be good citizens for Walterboro and all of Colleton County,” said Davis. “There have been a lot of different projects from roadside trash pickup to building ramps for handicapped people to scholarships ... we do so much every year.”

Anyone who is interested in joining the group may call any club member or attend a meeting at the Dogwood Country Club on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. “Come see what we are all about,” said Davis.

In the 1950’s, Civitan adopted a special emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities. Civitan was one of the major supporters of Special Olympics International, and thousands of Civitans still support these local events. Civitan clubs also fund and organize special camps and events for people with developmental disabilities.

Civitan Presidents 1956-2021

Les McElwee, Dr. Fred Renbrou, Herbert Murray, Alvin Weissenstein, Harry Cone, Jr., Albert Lucas, Auburn Bridge, Geral Padgett, Jack Slotchchiver, Dr. John, S. Hiott, Allen Bashore, Charles E. Thomas, Dan Howard III, Emmet Hutto, Allen Bosic, Donald Davis, John Dunkelberg, Bob Hartley, Andy Strickland, Auburn Bridge, Jerry Garfinkle, Charles Strickland, William C. Hamilton, Arnold Zipperer III, Michael Padgett, Paul Weissenstein, Jr., Timothy Marsh, Jack McLean, Flynn Griffin III, Jim Heaton, Horace Kinsey, David Williamson, Deborah Jackson, David turner, Gloria Godwin, Richard Fields, Margaret Ping, Dr. Trent Cannon, Todd Litchfield, David Jackson, Roy Metzendorf, Ken Hill, Jim Nolte, Janette Moyer, Jeremy Ware, Jared Polk, Lib Varnadoe, Dewey Griggs, Dean Redd, Jeff Slocum, Maryann Blake, and Edward Bryant.