Duke Employees Volunteer To Stuff Help 4 Kids Food Bags

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Duke Energy employees Wednesday gathered at Help 4 Kids in Florence to pack 600 food bags and drop off a $10,000 donation to the organization which help to ensure children have enough food to get them through the weekend — between school meals.

“Duke Energy has a month-long focus on feeding program’s. We wanted to highlight the feeding needs across the state of South Carolina,” said Mindy Taylor, director of government and community relations for the utility.

The Duke Energy squad, following a safety briefing, arranged themselves along three production lines and started filling bags, then cases and then pallets.

Several Duke employees were corralled to work pre-production tasks — like making sure there were tubs or pudding and Vienna sausages for the assembly process.

To read the full story, click here.

AI Workshop Series

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Join the FMU Kelley Center for Economic Development for their upcoming workshop series: AI for Small Business. The first two sessions will be held virtually on the first two Tuesdays in November and the final session will be a hands-on workshop on the last Tuesday of November. The fee to register is $35 per session and all registered attendees will receive a recording of the session and any presentation materials.

Artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbots like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. With over 100 million users in less than two months, it is the fastest-growing computer application to hit the world, EVER! It continues to grow exponentially not only in the number of users but in its power and flexibility. In these sessions, we will share with you some background information to understand this amazing tool while also sharing insights about applying its power directly in your small business. We will discover the opportunities and limitations of this life-changing resource as we “go live” in asking questions (prompting) and getting answers that could help us all be better at what we do. Join us to discover what ChatGPT can do for you, your organizations, and the customers you serve.

For more information, click here.

Florence’s Ruiz Foods Opens On-site Health Care Center

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Employees and family members of Ruiz Foods in Florence will have a much easier time taking care of their health care needs beginning this week.

Officials with the frozen foods manufacturing plant Thursday joined with Florence and state officials to hold a ribbon-cutting celebration for the plant’s new on-site health care center. The clinic will officially opened its doors to the plant’s 1,200 employees and their family members Monday.

“We couldn’t be more excited,” Kim Ruiz Beck, chairwoman of the Ruiz Foods board of directors and daughter of the co-founder of the company, Fred Ruiz. “We will be able to provide on-site health care for our team members and their families here in Florence. We just want our team members to know we are here to help them stay healthy, keep their families healthy, and help them prioritize their time with their loved ones.”

The 2-000 square-foot center will provide insured employees and covered family members with primary and acute care. It will also have a pharmacy to provide certain medications. She said there will be no co-pays or costs for services.

To read the full story, click here.

Florence Co. Junior Leadership Class Enjoys Healthcare Day

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Last Thursday, McLeod Regional Medical Center hosted Junior Leadership Florence County as part of their Healthcare Day sessions throughout the county. Twenty-eight students toured the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Operating Rooms and Air Reach helicopter.

Junior Leadership Florence County is a ten-month program in which area high school sophomores and juniors are empowered to become trustees of the Florence County community. Throughout the program, students learn a variety of valuable leadership skills including time management, community issue awareness, and business ethics. The program also provides training in the area of personal development, skills training, volunteering opportunities and team building. Junior Leadership Florence County is presented by the Florence County Extension Service/4-H Youth Development, The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and Francis Marion University with the support from local businesses to provide professional personnel, facilities, and other aspects of the sessions throughout the school year.

Florence-Darlington Technical College 60th Anniversary Gala

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Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and they are topping off a week full of activities with their Inaugural Gala! The event is sold out at the moment but there is a waiting list started.

The Gala will feature a live band, red carpet entrance, excellent food, a live and silent auction, and more. Proceeds from this event will help to fund student scholarships and provide other opportunities for student success. If you would like to make a difference in students’ lives, there are some sponsorship opportunities still available. Attire is Black Tie Optional.

TAB Featured On ChamberLink Radio

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Lee Freeman, owner of TAB and local entrepreneur, was on ChamberLink Radio this weekend to talk about the what The Alternative Board is all about in sharing your business expertise and suggestions with fellow members.

You can catch the conversations on ChamberLink Radio each Sunday from 12:00-12:30pm on LIVE 95.3FM in Florence, SC.

ChamberLink Radio is brought to you by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and The UPS Stores.

Jingle Bell Market Returns To Florence Center This Weekend

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Get ready to sleigh your holiday shopping at the Jingle Bell Market, happening November 17-19!

Join them for a festive shopping experience like no other and discover the perfect gifts to make this season merry and bright. With over 120 vendors including over 50 artisans they have something for everyone on your list! Tis the season to shop, sparkle, and savor at the Florence Center. Tickets are sold online and at the door.

Kickin’ Chicken Wing & Chili Festival Scheduled For This Friday

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ARE YOU READY TO WING IT?

The postponed Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Kickin’ Chicken Wing and Chili Festival has been rescheduled for Friday, November 17th and even better news is that the Inland Band is back to perform for the crowd. https://www.inlandband.com/

The November 17th festival will feature many local cooks competing for awards by local judges and for the coveted People’s Choice Award sponsored by Community Broadcasters. Besides wings and chili, a variety of other fun food offerings will be available.

The adults in the crowd will enjoy a wide selection of domestic and craft beer and a nice selection of wine. There will also be plenty of water and Pepsi products available.

The festival will be held in the 100 block of South Dargan Street, downtown Florence from 5 to 9 p.m.

This year’s event is made possible by Raines Co. and Synergi Partners along with support from Willcox, Buyck & Williams, Victors, South Carolina Federal Credit Union, MPD Electric Cooperative, Florence Downtown Development Corp. and the City of Florence.

Young Professionals Of Florence Are Giving Back This November

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The Young Professionals of Florence November member gathering will involve packing boxes at Harvest Hope on Thursday, November 16th from 5:30-7:30 pm.

To participate you must RSVP. PLEASE make sure to sign up by clicking here!

Honda Presents The Turkey Run On Saturday, Nov. 18 In Timmonsville

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Honda South Carolina Manufacturing (SCM) announced the return of the Honda Turkey Run on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8 a.m. A fun and family-friendly fall event, the Honda Turkey Run is focused on fundraising for Florence County residents in need byway of an annual 5K, 10K and 20K run/walk event that starts and finishes at the Honda manufacturing facility in Timmonsville.

Established in 2012, the Honda Turkey Run offers two USA Track & Field (USATF) certified courses that encompass the Honda SCM campus and circle through the town of Timmonsville.

“We’re so grateful to Honda for supporting us, especially during the holiday season as the need for food access rises,” stated Erinn Rowe, Harvest Hope Food Bank CEO. “Events like the Honda Turkey Run help support our mission – to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina.”  All donations to Harvest Hope Food Bank are tax deductible. Run participants who would like to donate nonperishable food items the day of the event are encouraged to provide canned vegetables, fruits, meats and tomato products, cereal, oatmeal, potatoes, dry pasta and mixes, and individually wrapped snacks.

Registration fees for the Honda Turkey Run range from $40 to $55 depending on race selection. Participants can save on cost by pre-registering for the event.

To register or to learn more about the Honda Turkey Run, please visit bit.ly/HondaTurkeyRun