Kickin’ Chicken Wing & Chili Fest

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Get ready!

It’s that time of year for the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s annual Kickin’ Chicken Wing and Chili Festival with music by the Inland Band https://www.inlandband.com/

Be sure to put this fun downtown Florence event on your calendar.

The October 20th festival will feature local cookers competing for awards by local judges and for the coveted Peoples Choice Award sponsored by Community Broadcasters.

For those interested in competing in the cook-off with their special sauces for wings and chili, contact the Florence Chamber at 843-665-0515.

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 Regional Arts Alliance, Florence Downtown Development Corp. and the City of Florence.

Pink and Blue Breast Cancer Walk

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On Saturday, October 14th, there will be a walk in Downtown Florence for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The walk will feature a costume contest, so participants are encouraged dress to impress as their favorite Barbie or Ken doll.

Barbie & Ken Breast Cancer Walk Registration will take place at the DHEC Complex located at 145 E Cheves St beginning at 7:30 AM.  Prayer and Warm Up at 8:30 AM and the walk will begin at 9:00 AM.

All proceeds from this event will benefit Mcleod Medical Center Foundation Let’s unite, create awareness, and show our love for those affected by this disease. Together, we’re stronger!

For more information, click here.

Downtown Fright Fest Promises A Scary Good Time In Downtown Florence On Friday The 13th

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The Downtown Fright Fest promises a scary good time in downtown Florence on Oct. 13 — that’s right, the event is on Friday the 13th.

Fright Fest is a new downtown event. It replaces Oktoberfest, said Hannah Davis, Florence Downtown Development Corp. Development Manager.

“They said, ‘We really want to see downtown do something for Halloween,’ ” Davis said. “We’ve got a great space for that. We retired our downtown Oktoberfest event for a number of reasons. Most were related to the cost to insure an event like Oktoberfest, as well as changing sponsorship needs.”

The idea grew and developed into a multifaceted event that includes costume contests, music, vendors, food and drink sales, and entertainment for adults and children.

Florence’s DJ Voodoo Child will get the Friday the 13th party started. He will be pumping out the music from 5:30-6:00 p.m., while Miracle Max and the Pet Monsters (80’s Tribute Band) will take the stage from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and 8:00-9:00 p.m.

For more information, click here.

Pee Dee Hearing Center Invites You To Their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Thursday, October 12, is a very special day for the Florence and the Pee Dee as it celebrates the Grand Reopening of one of the areas oldest nonprofits, Pee Dee Hearing Center.  The City of Florence passed a resolution naming October 12 Pee Dee Hearing Center Day!    Founded in 1968 by a group of concerned citizens who recognized  a need in our community for services for the speech and hearing impaired, the Center provides reduced rate services and hearing aids for  clients from every walk of life.  We want to be able to reach more people in need of treatment for their hearing loss as our population grows and changes by increasing our ability to provide low cost hearing aids.

Formerly Pee Dee Speech & Hearing Center, the practice’s mission is to empower the lives of people who struggle with all degrees of hearing challenges. Hearing loss is a prevelant condition throughout the community and is becoming even more common in younger generations as our environment grows noisier.  The proliferation of electronic media, sound systems, lawn and garden equipment, and a host of other noise pollutants is causing irreversible hearing loss across the generations. Hearing loss of all degrees affects people’s ability to navigate their relationships at home, in the marriages, at work, at school, and at play. When people treat their hearing loss, their relationships tend to improve in all these areas.   We see educating people about the risks of noise pollution and ways to prevent noise induced hearing loss as a significant part of our job.

Join us on Thursday, October 12th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at 153 N B Barrody St in Florence.  Please RSVP to peedeehearingandspeech@gmail.com ASAP.

Barringer General Store Opens In Downtown Florence

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George Stoddard and his wife Patsy, along with his staff Tim and Kathy, Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin and Florence Chamber Ambassadors cut their ceremonial ribbon, opening Barringer General Store at 138 West Evans St. Downtown Florence, and joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Stoddard welcomed everyone to come the Barringer’s to sit a spell, relax and enjoy the ambience of an old-fashioned general store. George told the audience he wants to make this a place where people come and sit, have a coffee, or drink a soda from your childhood days, play some checkers and if you find something you like make a purchase.

Barringer’s will stock local products as much as possible with local honey, pecans, and hand soaps made by local businesses in and around the area.

If you want a calming place to relax, “where the past meets the future,” please visit Barringer General Store at 138 W. Evans St. or call (843) 702-0171 for their hours of operation. They can also be reached on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barringergeneralstore or by email barringergeneralstore@yahoo.com.

Palmetto Business Barometer Survey – Are You In?

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If you own or manage a business in the Greater Florence or Pee Dee area the Florence Chamber encourages you to offer your input into the Palmetto Business Barometer for October. The Palmetto Business Barometer, is a collaboration between the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

It’s important to know what conditions employers are facing, so employers, other businesses, and the public are well-informed about our state’s economy and workforce. Rest assured that your individual responses will be confidential; we only ask for your email address, so we may send the survey to you in future months and can connect responses together between months to identify trends. This survey will only take 2-3 minutes each month and will produce information to help us better serve you and your business.

To participate in the survey, click here.

Pee Dee Economic Impact Luncheon

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Are you or your company registered to attend the South Carolina Ports’ Pee Dee Economic Impact Announcement & Luncheon on Monday, October 23, 2023?

The South Carolina Ports extends its reach beyond the Port of Charleston to make a significant economic impact throughout South Carolina and in the Pee Dee. We hope you be able to attend this important South Carolina Ports Luncheon where Barbara Melvin, President and CEO of South Carolina Ports, and Dr. Joseph Von Nessen, Research Economist for USC Darla Moore School of Business will be speaking.

The special luncheon is being held at Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Dr. in Florence. Doors are opening at 12 noon for registration and networking and the program begins at 12:30pm. Advance registration is required.

To register online, click here.

MUSC Health Black River Medical Center Announces, DAISY Award Recipient

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MUSC Health Black River Medical Center would like to announce the first recipient of the DAISY award. The DAISY award is given to a nurse whose job performance exemplifies the mission, vision and values of MUSC Health. The recipient must also keep a consistent focus on meeting patient-family goals, collaborate with the healthcare team to meet patients’ needs, use critical thinking to deliver extraordinary patient care, and demonstrate a caring attitude, as well as professionalism in the workplace during all situations, according to the hospital announcement.

MUSC Health Black River Medical Center recently named Justice Hickman, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, as the recipient of the DAISY Award for nursing.

She was nominated by a parent whose son was treated for a broken wrist. “Justice was an outstanding nurse who treated my child with a truly caring attitude. She talked to me and gave me mom-to-mom advice. She is a true example of what a mom expects in a nurse caring for her child. We are true believers in prayer, and on her way out from her shift, she checked in on us and commented that she would be praying for my son. That meant more than a thousand words to my mom heart!”

To read the full press release, click here.

Voluntober: A Volunteer Celebration And Interest Event

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Join HopeHealth Volunteers on Wednesday, October 18 for Voluntober: A Volunteer Celebration and Interest Event.

Are you interested in giving back to your community? Meet Cindy Averitt, manager of volunteer programs, and learn about HopeHealth’s volunteer program while enjoying coffee, refreshments, and fun!

When: Wednesday, October 18 from 4-6pm; Where: Bean Bar – 2511 W Palmetto St, Florence.

RSVP to Cindy Averitt at volunteer@hope-health.org by October 10.

FDTC’s Ford Selected For Aspen Institute Fellowship

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The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced last week that Jermaine Ford, president at Florence-Darlington Technical College, was selected for the inaugural class of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship.

This program, made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase, focuses on developing a sustainable and comprehensive reform agenda that advances excellence and equity in student outcomes at scale.

This class of fellows represents the diversity of the nation’s community colleges. They lead institutions across 14 states that collectively educate more than 280,000 students in varied settings, from a rural college of 700 students to an urban one with enrollment of more than 24,000. The incoming class of Presidents Fellows is 56 percent women and 44 percent people of color.

To read the full story, click here.