Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Annual Community Meeting Celebrates 30th Anniversary

The event celebrated CFL’s 30th Anniversary with a “Past, Present, and Future” theme and the guest speakers provided an informative and emotional program to the near capacity audience. The Annual Community Meeting culminated with the presentation of the Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award to a charitable volunteer who has made a positive difference in CFL’s four-county service area of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper County.

Master of Ceremonies Andrew Davis kicked off the program, followed by an enlightening CFL update from Board of Directors Chair Jackie Rosswurm and a program overview by CFL President and CEO Scott Wierman.

Hampton County native and nonprofit/business leader Paula Harper Bethea delivered a memorable keynote speech that focused on the “Blessings of Generosity” and the important role CFL has played over the past 30 years. The “Past, Present, and Future” guest speakers David Ames, Peaches Peterson, and Bernard Sanders managed to reinforce the theme with a perfect blend of historical and personal recollections.

Ames, who served on the CFL Board of Directors from 1998-2004 (Chair in 2003), delivered a speech that focused on the growth of the island in relation to the creation and expansion of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. Peterson, who served on the CFL Board from 2017-23 (Grants Committee Chair from 2021-23), focused on CFL’s grantmaking process and examples of local organizations that have benefitted from CFL grants. Sanders, Principal of Fennell Elementary Magnet School in Hampton County, referred to the impact CFL has played in his life during his uplifting speech, first as a recipient of the TidePointe Community Educational Scholarship (administered by CFL) and then as a teacher and principal.

Jackie Rosswurm and the Websters closed out the evening with the presentation of Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award to Bob Elliott, co-founder of the South Carolina Nurse Retention Initiative (SCNRI), an organization tackling the local nursing shortage by providing post-graduation financial awards to nurses in return for a commitment to practice their profession in Beaufort or Jasper County. Elliott was incredibly gracious during his acceptance speech and announced that three organizations would receive a portion of the $10,000 award grant: SCNRI, Memory Matters, and the Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary.