The Walterboro Civitan Club held its April 9th meeting at Dukes Barbecue. The meeting was called to order by the ringing of the bell by Civitan President, Tom Whitacre
This month’s meeting began with a recap of the Special Olympics that were held at Colleton County High School of April 3rd. The group had ten members present to assist during the event. The group also got an update on the preparation for “The Worlds Largest Pot of Rice for the Rice Festival”. The Civitans will be sell 600lbs of their special rice recept at the Festival. The group also voted to make a donation to Boys and Girls State. Coach Jim Castle was the speaker for this week. Castle, a member of the Civitans, told a brief history of his career and updated the group of some upcoming projects he is working on.
The Walterboro Civitan Club recently announced the recipients of its annual scholarships for students at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, continuing its long-standing commitment to local education and community service. These awards provide crucial financial assistance to students from Colleton County pursuing their college degrees.
The 2025 scholarship recipients are as follows:
Krystall Krajeski received the Murray Bishop Memorial Scholarship. Krajeski, a Walterboro resident and graduate of Walterboro High (now Colleton County High), is currently pursuing her degree with a focus on accounting. Her professional aspirations include opening her own accounting firm and assisting with her father-in-law’s business. A mother of eight, Krajeski enjoys spending time with her family and watching K-dramas in her spare time. The Murray Bishop Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Colleton County resident and honors Murray E. Bishop, a decorated U.S. Navy veteran, retired agent, and a charter member of the Walterboro Civitan Club.
Ashton Walling received the David Williamson Memorial Scholarship. Walling is a Walterboro native and a 2022 graduate of Colleton County High School. Currently majoring in Childhood Education, she aims to become an effective leader and teacher for future generations. In addition to her studies, Walling is a licensed hair stylist and the mother of a son. She is driven by a love for learning and a desire to understand how the minds of children work. The David Williamson Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of the late David Harrison Williamson of Walterboro. David was a longtime agent for New York Life Insurance Company and a devoted member of Bethel United Methodist Church, and was known for his beautiful tenor voice. From 1979 to 2011, he served as a color commentator for local high school football broadcasts (the Walterboro High Bulldogs and Colleton County High Cougars), dedicating 32 years to the teams. He was also extremely dedicated to the Civitan Club›s work with the Special Olympics.
With more than 30,000 members worldwide, Civitan International is a global organization dedicated to serving the local communities of its members. Using the structure of building local clubs, Civitan equips its members to address local needs with local solutions.
Civitan is the only service organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This long-standing focus began as a local project in Baltimore in the 1940s when Civitan began funding specialized teachers in schools. In 1956, Civitan membership unanimously adopted service to I/DD as the major project focus of the international organization. Today, Civitan supports the Civitan International Research Center in Birmingham, Alabama where more than 100 researchers work on diseases that impact the lives of 1 in 6 people worldwide.
