For Immediate Release

3/28/2023

Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail Arrives in Anderson to Crown 2023 Silver Anniversary National Champions.

Anderson, SC— 3/28/2023 — This week, nearly 350 anglers will converge on Lake Hartwell for the prestigious Berkley Classic Series National Championship.  Championship qualifiers have traveled from 44 Divisions around the country, spanning from Texas to Maine and over 20 states in between.  They will be competing for cash and prizes to include two Bass Cat Bass Boats powered by Mercury Pro XS Outboard Motors.

The Berkley Classic Series is the original Fishers of Men (FOM) team tournament series, and with the ministry itself, is celebrating its 25^th Year Silver Anniversary.  Teams compete in 5 or more localized tournaments each season, accumulating points for each, and the top 80% from each division qualify to fish in their area’s Berkley Classic Series District Championship, presented by Realtree Fishing.  From there, the top 20% from each Berkley Classic Series District Championship, presented by Realtree Fishing, qualify to compete in the National Championship.

A few ‘Special Category’ competitors also qualify, like the Bass Cat Boats, and Mercury Marines, Top Finishers programs.  The top finishing Bass Cat owners and Mercury Marine owners that finished below the top 20%, secure some of those special slots.  Bass Cat Boats and Mercury Marine are Primary Sponsors, and the exclusive boat and motor brands of FOM.

What began in 1998 as a small four-division tournament trail with a total of 21 events through the first season has now grown into one of the largest fishing tournament organizations in the country. Now, in each season, there are close to 350 individual events across the Eastern US.

Localized divisional tournament events consist of a professionally run fishing tournament on Saturday preceded by a meeting on Friday evening. At the Friday meeting, anglers are treated to a meal, tournament details, and door prizes. But most importantly, FOM is a Faith-Focused tournament trail, so the story of Christ is shared, and anglers are encouraged to keep God first in their lives, even ahead of fishing.

Special thanks to  Visit Anderson – South Carolina’s Bright Spot, for hosting this year’s event.  Angler’s practice period started on March 25^th and runs through the 29^th.  The tournament competition starts on Thursday, March 30^th with ‘Championship Day’ falling on Saturday, April 1^st, more commonly known as April Fool’s Day.  That could certainly open the door for lots of pranks, jokes and stunts.  Come on out to Green Pond Landing in Anderson, SC and be part of the fun!

For more information, press only:

Danny East

Director of Sales & marketing

Deast@fomntt.com

For more information on Fishers of Men:

www.fomntt.com

Also, find Fishers of Men on all major social sites as FOM, FOMNTT, FOM Nation, and Fishers of Men.

For Immediate Release: March 23, 2023

For More Information:  April Cameron: 864-221-8445

aprilc@andersonarts.org

Dancing for Our Heroes 2023 To be Held April 20

The 16^th annual Dancing for Our Heroes fundraiser, hosted by the Rotary Club of Greater Anderson, will be held Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Anderson Civic Center. Over the past 16 years, this event has raised more than $1 million for the community’s non-profit organizations.

This event has become one of the largest charitable fundraisers in Anderson County and will support 13 different local organizations this year as well as Rotary International’s Polio Plus, which strives to eradicate polio.

The event is formatted similarly to the Dancing with the Stars television show. Each charity competes in two ways: to raise the most amount of dollars for their organization before the event itself and during the night of the event, and to perform the best dance of the evening and win the judges’ votes.

During the evening of the competition, each organization performs a two-minute dance based on the yearly theme. This year’s theme is Sweet 16, and dancers must have selected the music that was popular when they were 16 (in high school).

In addition to the performances, the event includes dinner and drinks, as well as a live and silent auction. Tickets can be purchased by emailing dancing4heroes@gmail.com.

Local Anglers Represent on Bass Fishing’s Grandest Stage

Follow Collin Smith and Brandon Cobb’s Quest for a Bassmaster Classic Title

Anderson County, SC — March 21, 2023 — After more than 4.3 million fans tuned in to FOX and FS1 for the dramatic live coverage of the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, which saw a tie heading into the final day, the network and B.A.S.S. recently announced that Championship Sunday action from the upcoming Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River will be broadcast on FOX (12pm-3pm) March 26, 2023. Later that evening, a Super Six recap show with weigh-in highlights will air on FS1 at 10pm.

Anderson County will be well represented in the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota, March 24-26, with two anglers carrying the local baton. Collin Smith, Bassmaster Team Champion, hails from nearby Honea Path and works for Anderson County. Smith will be carrying the colors for Green Pond Landing and Anderson County for the upcoming Classic. Brandon Cobb, Bassmaster Elite Series Professional, grew up in Greenwood but has long referred to Lake Hartwell as his home lake. Cobb, fishing his fourth Classic, carries the colors of Visit Anderson and Green Pond Landing.

How to Watch the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota:

Takeoffs: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7:15am ET all days

Weigh-ins 3:30pm ET all days: live streamed on Bassmaster.com

Bassmaster LIVE Preview Show: Wednesday: 9:00am – 10:00am ET on Bassmaster.com

Bassmaster LIVE

Friday: 8:00am to 3:00pm ET on Bassmaster.com

Saturday: 8:00am to 11:00am ET on FOX Sports 1 – 11:00am to 3:00pm on Bassmaster.com

Sunday: 8:00am to 11:00am ET on Bassmaster.com – 11:00am to 12:00pm on FOX Sports 1 – 12:00pm to 3:00pm on FOX

How to Follow the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota:

Instagram: @bass_nation
Twitter: @Bassmaster
Facebook: @Bassmaster

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Visit Anderson serves as the Destination Marketing Organization of Anderson County. Anderson County is located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate of South Carolina. Anderson is a mixture of agriculture and industry that mix well with the rolling hills and blue skies. Anderson County serves as the home to Lake Hartwell, named a Top 100 Bass Lake in America.

For Immediate Release

Media Contacts:

Marty Walker (864-561-2026) at martyw@palmettoboatcenter.com

Palmetto Boat Center High School Tournament Trail on March 18, 2023 Anderson, SC

Palmetto Boat Center Tournament Trails, LLC, will be hosting a tournament at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC, on Saturday December 3, 2022.  Blast off will be approximately 7:00 am each day.  Weigh in for middle school teams will begin at 1:30 pm.  High School teams will start at 3:00 pm. The event will be held at the Green Pond Landing & Event Center, which is located at 470 Old Green Pond Road, Anderson, SC 29625.  The event is free to the public.

“We are expecting over 175 boats for this weekend’s high school tournament, which equates to 350 students and 175 volunteer adult captains.  Of those teams, we are expecting 60 middle school teams to compete” said Marty Walker, Tournament Director and owner of title sponsor Palmetto Boat Center.  “High School fishing in the Upstate remains one of the fastest growing activities in school.  Fishing is a competitive activity that is open and challenging for everyone.”

The high school anglers will be competing for the heaviest five bass limit, and for a $2,000 scholarship to the winning team.

The event is sponsored by Palmetto Boat Center, Shimano Fishing, Nitro Performance Bass Boats, Phoenix Bass Boats, Tracker Off Road, Mercury Marine, Visit Anderson, and the Anderson County Parks & Recreation Department.

“These student anglers are the future of our sport,” said Walker.  “It’s amazing how this trail continues to grow.  We see new students participating each year.  We have teams from all over the upstate.”  Participants from the trail have advanced to college competition with schools such as Lander, Clemson, Erskine, USC, and Emmanuel just to name a few.

The Palmetto Boat Center High School Tournament Trail was established in the fall of 2015 to create a large-scale competitive environment for the high school fishing teams and clubs in South Carolina.  The trail filled the need for central coordination and operation of high school tournaments.  Too many times, teams were scheduling tournaments at the same time as another school, which reduced participation.  In our first full season we held seven tournaments, averaging 125 boats from over 25 high schools in South Carolina.

Now in our seventh full season, the trail consists of eight regular season tournaments, with four groups to manage field size.  A middle school division exists to encourage participation from younger competitors.  The teams compete for points in each tournament to determine the Anglers of the Year and the School of the Year.  The top teams from each division qualify for the end of season three day “Classic” tournament which is an invitational event.

Our regular season events are all sanctioned tournaments by BASS, as qualifying points events towards the BASS Nation High School National Championship.  In the summer of 2022, the trail sent four teams to participate in the National Championship that was held on Lake Hartwell.

For more information on the tournament trail, contact Marty Walker at 864-561-2026, martyw@palmettoboatcenter.com.

ANDERSON COUNTY, SC (February 13, 2023) – Anderson County is pleased to announce the completion of improvements at the Gracie S. Floyd Event Center at McFall’s Landing. The project included access improvements to the courtesy docks and patio extension with a decorative concrete finish. As part of the effort, a wooden fence was removed and replaced by decorative boulders, complementing the building’s rock façade. Two eight-foot matching benches were installed on the event center’s patio.

In addition, a very special park bench has been donated to the facility by Anderson School District 5. This bench was custom-crafted by Anderson Institute of Technology’s Machine Tool and Welding Department and presented in memory of the Honorable Gracie S. Floyd, former Anderson County Educator and Councilwoman

The bench has been installed on the center dock between the two boat ramps, creating the setting for a truly magnificent vista. All site furnishings at McFall’s Landing are now oriented towards the lake, an arrangement that lets visitors enjoy the beauty of Broadway Lake from the very facility that Councilwoman Floyd worked tirelessly to make available as a unique and memorable venue for the community.

Since opening in November 2009, the Gracie S. Floyd Event Center at McFall’s Landing has been rented almost every weekend for birthdays, graduation, anniversary parties, baby showers, family reunions, celebrations of life and weddings.

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For Immediate Release

From:  Alison Darby, 864-958-5264

Date:  March 7, 2023

Subject:  BAMA hosts 9th Annual Community-Wide Rummage and Craft Sale

Join us Saturday, March 25, on the grounds of the historic Belton Train Depot from 9 am – 2 pm for the ninth annual Community-wide Rummage and Craft Sale.

“There are 50 booths providing one-of-a-kind items, handcrafted treasures, and rummage sale take-aways at this year’s event,” said organizer.Alison Darby, of the Belton Area Museum Association (BAMA).

On the rummage side of things, there are people selling costume jewelry, clothing and accessories, tools, books, gently used furniture, sporting goods, kitchen goods, electronics and games, and household décor.

Crafters include those selling woodcrafts and signs, hand painted furniture, unique paintings, ceramics, jewelry, wreaths, vinyl products, handbags and market bags, crocheted items, handmade knives, bird feeders, wood carvings, handsewn baby clothing and accessories, decorative bottles, and holiday décor including Easter baskets.

Sour dough bread, cupcakes and cakes, jams and jellies, boiled peanuts, cake pops and other snacks will be available for purchase as well.  There is even a booth selling dog treats for your furry friends.

Bath Fitter and Scentsy will also be on site.

“If past events are any indication, we expect a huge crowd that day,” stated organizer Alison Darby.

The event will be cancelled in case of inclement weather. The decision will be made the morning of the event, so look for updates on social media.

Ample parking is free and located on the square, in the Belton First Baptist parking lot on Brown Avenue, and in the field behind the Belton Library.

For more information, please call Abigail Burden, BAMA Executive Director, at 864-338-7400 or email Alison Darby at memoryln@charter.net.

“We look forward to having you at this community event!” said Mrs. Burden.

ANDERSON COUNTY AND AIM JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE OWNER-OCCUPIED HOUSING REPAIR

FOR REPAIR ASSISTANCE, CONTACT:

Justin Sullivan

AIM Director of Housing

(864) 965-9041

justin.sullivan@aimcharity.org

Anderson County, SC (February 24, 2023) – The Anderson County Council and AIM, an Anderson-based nonprofit human services organization, are joining forces in an effort to assist qualified homeowners with needed housing repairs.

“Today’s announcement furthers our mission to promote neighborhood stabilization,” said Anderson County Council Chair Tommy Dunn. “Many of our hard-working citizens and retirees run into situations where they don’t have the means to fix little problems before they become big problems. Eventually, the home becomes uninhabitable. They end up losing their equity and often become homeless. We can’t have it.”

The county’s building and codes department currently has over 250 records of substandard housing units in its database. Many of these cases stem from a homeowner not having the means to make necessary repairs to their roofs, plumbing, and key structural components.

“We have been offering this type of assistance to the community for years, but the partnership with Anderson County will allow us to greatly expand our capacity to serve,” said AIM Executive Director Kristi-King Brock. “The county’s participation will allow us to leverage other available resources and get help to those who need it when they need it.”

The partnership is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s HOME program. Anderson County is a member of the local HOME Consortium and will provide these federal funds to AIM under the auspices of a subrecipient agreement.

The program is available only for owner-occupied housing units, and homeowners must meet income qualifications. Homeowners needing assistance may reach out to Justin Sullivan, AIM Director of Housing, at (864) 965-9041 or email justin.sullivan@aimcharity.org.

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For Media Inquiries:

Steve Newton, Anderson County Administrator’s Office

(864) 260-1010 | snewton@andersoncountysc.org

FOR REPAIR ASSISTANCE, CONTACT REBUILD UPSTATE:

(864) 643-5711 | info@rebuildupstate.org | www.rebuildupstate.org

Anderson County, SC (February 22, 2023) – The Anderson County Council has entered into a partnership with Rebuild Upstate, a nonprofit organization serving Upstate South Carolina, to assist with repairs to qualified owner-occupied housing units in our community.

“This initiative is part of our comprehensive effort to promote neighborhood stabilization” said Anderson County Council Chair Tommy Dunn. “Through this program, we will be able to help lower income homeowners keep their houses safe, secure, and inhabitable. We’ll also be able to prevent deterioration of the housing stock in areas vulnerable to blight and neglect, which prevents the need for us to go in and tear down dilapidated structures at taxpayer expense.”

The county’s building and codes department currently has over 250 records of substandard housing units in its database. Many of these cases stem from a homeowner having the means to make necessary repairs to their roofs, plumbing, and key structural components.”

“We see so many times these situations where a homeowner gets a leak in their roof, and the leak gets worse and worse over time because they just don’t have the money to make repairs” said Rebuild Upstate CEO Jake Beaty. “We’re looking to fix these things before they become unfixable.”

The partnership is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s HOME program.  Anderson County is a member of the local HOME Consortium and will provide these federal funds to Rebuild Upstate under the auspices of a subrecipient agreement.

The program is available only for owner-occupied housing units, and homeowners must meet income qualifications.  An assistance application is available online at www.rebuildupstate.org. Homeowners may also call Rebuild Upstate’s Helpline at (864) 643-5711 or contact by email to info@rebuildupstate.org

About Rebuild Upstate:

Rebuild Upstate serves low-income homeowners with repairs and accessibility improvements to create safe, livable housing in existing homes and neighborhoods in Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee counties. Its team envisions a community where everyone has the opportunity to live a life of dignity in a safe home environment in order to maintain and foster strong, sustainable communities. Learn more at www.rebuildupstate.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Steve Newton, Anderson County Administrator’s Office

(864) 260-1010 | snewton@andersoncountysc.org

For Immediate Release

From:  Alison Darby, 864-958-5264

Date:  Jan. 13, 2023

Subject:  Winter wonderland at Belton Depot this Sunday

The Belton Area Museum Association (BAMA) invites the community to join in a fun and family-friendly opening celebration of its newest exhibit Let It Snow! on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 3 – 5 PM at the historic Belton train depot.

Using snow and ice as its core theme, this exhibit brings a winter wonderland to upstate SC. The exhibit features collections of snow globes of all types and ceramics with snow themes, vintage items needed to play and dress for snow days, sports memorabilia from icy sporting events, antique and vintage photos of landmarks in the snow as well as families enjoying the snow, and traditions associated with snowy forecasts.

As patrons enter the North End Gallery, they will walk through icicles and snowflakes to find an igloo made from recycled gallon jugs and kids can have a mock snowball fight indoors. A quick tutorial on how to best prepare your car for inclement weather will be offered by personnel from Advance Auto Parts.  In addition, patrons can register for a free give-away winter car-care kit.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits will also have swag to give away that day.

Vampire Penguin-Anderson will be at the opening celebration, offering their one of a kind snow treats.  These delectable desserts will be $8 each and more information about the variety and options can be found at their Facebook page at Vampire Penguin Anderson SC.

Sponsored by Anderson County ATAX, City of Belton HTAX, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Advance Auto Parts, and Vampire Penguin-Anderson, the event is free for the public to enjoy.

“In addition as a tie in event to this exhibit, we are so excited to be bringing back our Home School Days program” said Abigail Burden, BAMA executive director.

On Thursday, February 9, at 10 am, BAMA educators will be hosting a class on the science of snowflakes. Students will learn about Wilson Bentley, who was the first to photograph individual snowflakes, and the categories of snowflake shapes scientists found from those photographs.

“We will also look at how snowflakes can eventually form glaciers and why glaciers are important to the world’s climate,” Burden added.

Students will participate in hands-on activities and crafts through this class. The cost for this event is $2 per student, ages 7-12. To register, please contact the museum at 854-338-7400 or email beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net.

The exhibit runs through March 4.  Patrons can visit during regular museum hours (Wednesday – Friday, 9 am – 2 pm; Saturday, 10 am – noon), or by scheduled appointment for groups.

Please check BAMA’s Facebook page for updated information.

The Belton Area Museum Association is a place where people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities can learn about and experience our area’s history and culture.  Museum admission is free.

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New fund helps clean up Anderson’s waterways
Healthy environments through community education and restoration

January 12, 2023 – ANDERSON COUNTY, South Carolina – The Anderson County Watershed Protection Council announced today that they are awarding grants from $30,000 to $90,000 to the Rocky River Conservancy and the Anderson Soil and Water Conservation District. The recipients are launching projects that will improve water quality and education in the county.

The water council and new grant program are part of Upstate Forever and Savannah Riverkeeper efforts to spend legal settlement dollars from past polluters on long-term, community-driven projects that will safeguard Anderson’s water quality.

“It is exciting to jumpstart water-focused projects in communities that have experienced heavy pollution in the past,” says Megan Chase, Upstate Forever State Policy Director. “The goal is to connect children, teachers, residents and leaders to the waterways through recreation, restoration, and education. The two projects we selected are perfect examples of what is possible.”

The Rocky River Conservancy project will engage the community in restoration efforts and water quality testing in the Rocky River Nature Park, a 148-acre public preserve in the Broadway Creek watershed. Trees Upstate is partnering with them to plant buffers while engaging the nearby community.

Also, in the Broadway Creek watershed, Anderson Soil and Water Conservation’s project will provide teachers, students and experts with Adopt-a-Stream kits and link them to the KnowYourRiver.com database to monitor local water conditions. The project will engage more than 1,000 participants in water-quality activities in the first year.

“Growth, development, and leaking pipelines have contributed to serious impairment of Anderson County’s once pristine waterways. We can no longer take clean water for granted. These grant funded proposals are expected to provide education, lasting clean up, and restoration to return these streams to good health,” says M. Cindy Wilson, Anderson County Council District 7. “Thank you, Upstate Forever, Savannah Riverkeeper, and Southern Environmental Law Center, for setting us on a better course.”

The next funding opportunity will be in the summer of 2023. Entities seeking more information about the process can visit www.andersonwatercouncil.com or email info@andersonwatercouncil.com.

The mission of the Anderson County Watershed Protection Council is to assist in identifying, prioritizing, and funding projects that empower citizens to take action on existing and emerging threats to water resources and to restore water quality in the Savannah River watershed’s impacted areas.

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