The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s Charitable Foundation Gives $35,500 to Local Charities

Funds raised increase 36% from 2011 and exceed $150,000 since 2006

SUNSET, SC – December 27, 2012 – In the giving spirit of the holiday season, The Reserve at Lake Keowee Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce its 2012 charitable contributions of $35,500 – a 36% increase over their 2011 donation amount.

These funds, which were divided equally among four benefitting local organizations, were distributed on December 4 in a festive occasion held at The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s Market. This annual outreach amount – largely made possible by proceeds from The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s 2012 Charitable Golf Classic – supports Feed a Hungry Child, Helping Hands Children’s Shelter, Pickens County Meals on Wheels, and Prevent Child Abuse Pickens County.

Representatives from three of the four honored organizations were in attendance Tuesday night for the check presentation.

Helping Hands is thrilled and honored to be one of this year’s grant recipients,” remarks Dewey Brown of Helping Hands. “This grant will enable us to continue to provide for all the needs of the children placed in our care.

“I was so excited and filled with joy when I heard the amount of money raised by the foundation,” says Gloria Morris, Executive Director of The Parenting Place – Prevent Child Abuse Pickens County. “The most challenging issue for an executive director is raising sufficient funds to meet the needs of the community. It weighs heavy on my heart every day. We have so many young parents or soon to be parents on our waiting lists for home visiting and educational services. This generous and timely gift gives life and love to children by educating, mentoring, and supporting young parents, and helping them find gainful employment and financial stability.”

Mike Parrott, with Feed a Hungry Child, elaborates further on what this money does for the organization: “We currently serve 13 of the 16 elementary schools in Pickens County for a total of 402 children that receive food over the weekend. It cost us five dollars a week to feed one child or $160 to feed a child for a year. Because of the generosity of The Reserve we will be able to feed 55 children throughout the year. On behalf of Feed a Hungry Child, I simply want to say thank you – you have made a difference in a child’s life.”Says Meta Bowers, Executive Director of Pickens County Meals on Wheels: “This most generous donation, combined with the volunteerism of 46 members of The Reserve, ensures that recipients who benefit from Meals on Wheels’ services do not have to face the challenges of hunger, loneliness, and isolation alone.

Through the years, The Reserve at Lake Keowee has played an integral part in the success of the entire Meals on Wheels program and the elimination of the program’s waiting list. We appreciate The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s generosity and applaud its philosophy of giving back to those in need.”

“The Foundation serves both The Reserve community and the general public in four main areas, and assisting charitable organizations is a big part of what we do.” states Kathryn Gravely, Executive Director of The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s Community and Charitable Foundation. “Every year we are proud of what we accomplish – both in contributions and in volunteer hours. We’re exceptionally pleased to top last year’s contributions by a significant amount. This substantial increase in giving would not have been possible without the generosity of our community, the success of our Charitable Golf Classic, and the Members who coordinated the tournament’s silent and live auctions.  These auctions dramatically increased the fundraising total for this year’s Golf Classic.”

Celebrating its fourth year, The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s Annual Charitable Golf Classic is one of the primary ways the community’s Charitable Foundation raises money to support local charities. This year’s tournament hosted 29 teams on The Reserve’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. In addition to the “Step Aside” Scramble, the tournament also featured a silent auction and putting contest. The tournament was presented by The Reserve at Lake Keowee, with Sexton Griffith Builders and Pyramid construction as Platinum Sponsors. The Charitable Foundation is grateful to all of the tournament sponsors.

Since 2006, The Charitable Foundation has given more than $150,000 to local charitable organizations, in line with its mission.
About The Reserve at Lake Keowee Charitable Foundation
The Reserve at Lake Keowee Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to enhance the quality of life at The Reserve and in the local area while fulfilling a sense of community and philanthropy for The Reserve’s members. The Foundation has four major functions, one of which is to provide outreach for neighboring communities in Pickens County.

The Charitable Foundation operates as a supporting organization for the philanthropic goals and intentions of The Reserve at Lake Keowee Community Foundation. Charities that receive donations are suggested by property owners. The Reserve’s property owners voted by emailed ballot on the slate of area charities under consideration via email in February. The Trustees give priority to the charities suggested by the results of the property owners’ ballots. A full description and calendar of Foundation events, all of which are open to the public, are available on The Reserve at Lake Keowee’s website (www.ReserveAtLakeKeowee.com) or by clicking here. To learn more, contact Kathryn Gravely, the Foundation’s Executive Director, by calling (864) 481-4010.

About The Reserve at Lake Keowee
Created in 2000 by Greenwood Communities and Resorts, The Reserve at Lake Keowee is an award-winning residential community that spans 3,900 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with 30 miles of shoreline on Lake Keowee and convenient access to nationally-recognized commercial and cultural centers that include Greenville, S.C.; Asheville, N.C.; and Clemson and Furman Universities.  A 200-slip Marina, Village Center, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, and more than 1,400 acres of parks, preserves, trails, and green spaces highlight more than $100 million in completed family amenities at The Reserve. The Reserve has approximately 650 members from 30 different states, with an additional 660+ extended family members who enjoy club privileges through the multi-generational Legacy Membership program. Homesites at The Reserve start in the $100,000s; homes, under $500,000. To learn more, call 877-922-LAKE (5253), visit www.ReserveAtLakeKeowee.com, or read the community’s official blog at www.LifeOnKeowee.com.

About Greenwood Communities and Resorts
Greenwood Communities and Resorts, based in Greenwood, S.C., is a leader in the creation and management of award-winning residential and resort communities in the southeastern United States since 1978. Beginning with the award-winning Palmetto Dunes Resort at Hilton Head Island and evolving to current communities like The Ponds, Big Canoe near Atlanta and The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Greenwood’s mission has remained the same: Create memorable places that foster meaningful and fulfilling lives.