Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area
Richard B. Russell Dam and Overlook
SC Heritage Corridor
Fall for the Falls
by Ken Tinsley
The FTF was a resounding success. Kids from eight months to 90 years were
on hand and had a great time in Calhoun Falls. God gave us gorgeous weather;
the vendors gave us a tremendous selection that ranged from floral arrangements
and honey to cotton candy, boiled P-Nuts, BBQ and Hash, and beautiful Hardy
Mums to decorate for the season. The Students from John C. Calhoun Elementary
and the Calhoun Falls Charter School manned many fund raising booths that
featured crafts, food, games, a goat, and many more items involved in their
educational process.
The positive comments on the great music that featured some very talented
folks from within CF and outside our area were well received. All were great
and kept many of our folks glued to their lawn chairs for most of the day.
We need to say thank you to many, many, many people who helped make this a
success. We had an abundance of quality door prizes that were donated by local
merchants and our attendees should patronize these establishments to say “Thank
You.”
One big thing that is happening in CF is the recognition that if one helps
someone with a project or task, then the recipient will reciprocate and provide
help on other tasks. We like that "I'll help you" attitude and want
more of it.
What really made our Festival possible was the financial support of our Sponsors,
Exhibitors and Vendors. We had 14 financial Sponsors that donated over $3000
to our event. Also, we had 6 Sponsors that gave services or equipment in lieu
of money. The Sponsors were:
Abbeville County Visitor’s Council; West Carolina Tel; Town of Calhoun Falls; Calhoun Falls Chamber of Commerce; Men’s Ministry of Calhoun Falls; First Citizens Bank; Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Ellison; Abbeville Soil and Water Conservation District; Old Ninety Six Resource Conservation and Development; Greater Abbeville Federal Credit Union; Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Mr. Jerry W. Peace; Mr. and Mrs. James T. Hester; Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie W. Burton and the Carolina Health Centers.
Did you notice the big tents and the great entertainment stages and equipment for those performing? All of their names were printed on the banner at the stage and we included most on the posters and advertising we did. The newspaper ads, Internet Web Sites, and the weekly and on-site radio broadcasting were a big factor in getting the word out.
The Ministerial Association of CF coordinated a Blood Drive in conjunction with the Festival. All of the area churches were participants and a goal of 27 units was established for the event. Everyone was surprised that this goal was exceeded by noon and the final tally was 39 units of blood. What a giving community!
By pulling together, anything in CF is possible. Our kids are really pitching
in and giving a helping hand. This will serve them well throughout their lives.
Yes, one gets more out of giving than getting.
We had some big ticket items that were given away. The winners have been notified
but many may not know that:
The Big BBQ Grill was won by Floree Cowan.
The $100 cash prize was won by Pete Hagood.
The $25 cash prize was won by Joy Johnson.
The Remington 7mm Mag rifle with scope was won by Winnie Powell.
The goal and mission of the FTF is to support the children of Calhoun Falls
and surrounding area in recreational and other endeavors through the use of
proceeds in excess of expenses anticipated for future years Festivals. Additionally,
we anticipate awarding in excess of $2000 to support our children. This will
allow those in the community who wish to carry on with the festival to do
so.