Healthy Kids in Transition Had Fun in the Sun!

Yesterday afternoon, some Junior League of Columbia members and I had a wonderful time lending a hand at the Family Shelter on Two Notch for a Healthy Kids in Transition Activity, organized by Kim Toogood. The children enjoyed two different bounce house obstacle courses, a balloon artist and an interactive Mother's Day craft station.

The JLC donated a new basketball hoop, new basketballs, two high chairs, a baby carrier and gave each child a gift bag complete with the Junior League's book on the ABCs of Healthy Eating, a toothbrush and healthy treats.  Following the activities, we served the children a healthy dinner.

The families were very appreciative! Thank you to Kim Toogood and the Healthy Kids in Transition Committee!

Post by: Sarah G Wood

2012-2013 Junior League of Columbia Award Recipients

On Thursday, May 2, the Junior League of Columbia celebrated the 2012-2013 year at The Palmetto Club. This annual event is a time where JLC honors and recognizes the League members and friends who have dedicated themselves to our mission and vision. We are honored to recognize the following League members and friends of the League! Congratulations!

President's Award

This award recognizes an Active member in good standing who continues the tradition and vision of making the JLC a better organization through outstanding "in-League" service to the JLC.

Ginny Stout Hairston

Katharine Heath Manning Perry Award

This award recognizes an Active member in good standing who has excelled in community voluntarism and activism, through her Junior League placement and through extensions of her JLC work and training.

Pamela Adams

Nancy Mayer Dunbar Leadership Award

This award recognizes an Active member in good standing who has exemplified successful leadership qualities.

Mary Frances Jowers

Friends of the League Award

This award recognizes community organizations or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the JLC and its stated purpose.

Franklin Jones and Amanda Payne

Kinsey Black Jones Memorial

This award recognizes an outstanding recent Active member (a first, second, or third-year Active) who has advanced the volunteer ideals of the JLC by epitomizing superlative service in her placement.

Kim Jamieson

Provisional of the Year Award

This award recognizes a Provisional member(s) who has exemplified successful leadership qualities and demonstrated commitment to the JLC.

Kathleen McDavid

Tara Felder

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award recognizes one Sustaining member who exemplifies the purpose of the JLC - that of voluntarism - who has translated her volunteer training into outstanding community commitment and involvement and who continues to demonstrate an interest in the JLC.

Caroline Finlay Meyer

A Provisional's Experience

Submitted by Elisabeth Bischofberger, Provisional Member

Since moving to Columbia after college, I knew that I wanted to be associated with an organization of women who performed meaningful activities together to give back to our community. It took a few years, but I finally joined the Junior League of Columbia. My provisional year has been a great experience on several levels -- meeting new women with diverse careers and life aspirations, learning about the organization as a whole and bonding as a provisional group.

What I like most about Junior League is that there is such a diverse group of women. Anyone who says "all Junior Leaguers are a like" could not be more wrong -- except that they all want to make a difference in our community. Why that attracted me as a provisional was because I liked knowing that I could make friends in my provisional group who were not just in the corporate world. That would be so boring! I could learn from new mothers, gain perspective from newly married women and talk about the business side of nonprofits with women who chose that type of career path. The perspective provided by these women different from me is very interesting and gives me a new way of thinking about how we will work together for one common goal. I really enjoyed working community and fundraising shifts where we got the opportunity to do a task with women we had never met before, all with the bigger picture in mind to raise money or provide services to our partners in the community.

I love a well-run meeting. I define "well run" as a) organized; b) timely (less than an hour); and c) interesting and insightful. The general membership meetings were great as a provisional because I learned more about different committees and what responsibilities they served in the League. Not only did I learn more about our internal structure of the JLC, but also how much our work impacts those we give money and services to in the Columbia area. Hearing from Sherry and her guide dog, Roberta, at a General Membership Meeting made me want to serve on the committee that grants the money to give to different organizations. How heartfelt!

Most importantly, you can't retain members if there is no "stickiness" that holds them together. I was fortunate enough to meet a handful of women in my provisional class and become much closer friends with them over the course of our year together. Whether it is working JLC shifts, exercising or even attending community benefits together, it's great to have new friends who share similar passions. Several of us are looking forward to making decisions on our placements for years to come. One year down, many more ahead!

Thank You To Our 2013 Touch A Truck Participants:

97.5  FM WCOS

Ally & Eloise Bakeshop

Be Beep A Toy Shop

Blanchard Machinery Company

Blanchard Equipment of St. Matthews

Chick-Fil- A – Garners Ferry Road

 Children’s Chance

Clayton Rawl Farm

Concrete Supply Company

Cox Industries

Ducksback, Inc.

EdgeUCoaching

EdVenture Children’s Museum

Federal Bureau of Investigation

George Oswald

Harvest Hope Food Bank

Hay Hill Garden Market

It's a Snap Photo Booth

 Jamil Temple Choo Choo

JLC’s Kids in the Kitchen

Laugh 'N Leap

Lexington District I FFA

Lexington County EMS

Lexington County Farm-City

Lexington County Fire

Lexington County Sheriff's Department

Marco’s Pizza

Midlands Landscape & Lawn

Military Vehicle Collectors of South Carolina

My Gym

New York Famous Hotdogs

N.W. White

Palmetto Health

Pioneer South Carolina

Richland County Sheriff's Department

Rocky Wells Trucking

South Carolina Highway Patrol

SLED

South Carolina Cotton Board

South Carolina Department of Agriculture

South Carolina Farm Bureau

South Carolina Forestry Commission

South Carolina State Farmers Market

South Carolina Trucking Association

The Peterbilt Store of Greenville

Two Men & a Truck

Usborne Books

USC’s Cocky

WACH-TV

Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc.

White Crane Company

Wiley Easton Construction Company

Experience Tractor Town at Touch A Truck This Saturday

Submitted by Connelly-Anne Ragley, Active Member

With Junior League of Columbia’s Touch A Truck event right around the corner, the committee is excited to announce a special partnership with Lexington County Farm-City to bring a whole new world of agricultural machinery to Touch A Truck attendees. With the event being held at the State Farmers Market in West Columbia, this seemed like a natural arrangement to present farm equipment to Midlands’ families.

 This year’s event will feature a special display of agricultural and farm equipment presented by Lexington County Farm-City dubbed “Tractor Town” to showcase antique tractors, haulers, cotton pickers and other state-of-the-art agricultural machinery used to harvest crops and materials in the Midlands in the production and distribution of food, feed, fiber and fuel. This year, we’re also pleased to welcome back the South Carolina Farm Bureau Ag Simulator that will give kids the experience of harvesting crops.

Lexington County Farm-City was organized in 1995 with the mission to increase awareness of how farm and city people depend on each other for growing, processing and distributing food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other products. Some of their past programs have included: Farm-City Week kick-off banquets, annual Job Exchange for a day between a farmer and non-farmer, Farm-City Showcase, Youth Leadership Lexington Tour, FFA Annual Appreciation Night and Scholarships for FFA students in each of the high schools in Lexington County with FFA programs.

The Junior League of Columbia and Lexington County Farm-City hope to see you at the State Farmers Market this Saturday to experience Tractor Town and Touch A Truck! Tickets are $6 each with children under 2 free with each paying adult or a family 4-pack of tickets for $20. Tickets are available at the door! For more information, please visit the Junior League of Columbia's website.

Local Crime Fighters on Display on April 13, 2013

Submitted by Connelly-Anne Ragley, Active Member

Touch A Truck, the newest Junior League of Columbia fundraiser and family event, will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2013. We're headed back to the State Farmers Market in West Columbia and look forward to transforming the market into a world of big rigs and heavy machinery for young and old alike to see up close! After a successful event in 2012, the Touch A Truck committee is 'cranked up' and ready to bring even more exciting exhibits to the event.


The 4th annual Touch A Truck event will feature all things that go! Kids have the opportunity to explore big vehicles like emergency vehicles, tractors and agricultural equipment, cement trucks, bulldozers and antique military vehicles.

This year, we are pleased to feature some of the men and women who build, protect and serve the Midlands. From the SC Forestry Commission, Lexington County Fire and EMS and Lexington County Sheriff's Office to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Richland County Sheriff's Office, there will be no shortage of cool crime fighting vehicles on display this year. Touch A Truck is also excited to have a KidPrint station on hand at the event for a chance to have a child's fingerprint made in case of emergency. As always, we appreciate the service and sacrifice of these law enforcement, fire and rescue squads and all the individuals who help keep our communities and neighborhoods safe!

This community event also features family-friendly entertainment, public safety information and healthy eating activities from JLC's Kids in the Kitchen. This year, we will also have "Tractor Town," a section of the event dedicated to the agriculture industry, sponsored by Lexington County Farm City. Mascots, face painting and other amusements round out the fun.

Come join us on April 13th! Get your tickets here!

Saturday, April 13, 2013
10 am to 2 pm
New State Farmers Market
3438 Charleston Highway
West Columbia, South Carolina

Admission: $6 per person (Children under 2 free with a paying adult) or a family 4-pack of tickets for $20

Luck of the JLC at the St. Patrick's Day Parade

Submitted by Provisionals Danielle Payne and Chamarlyn Fairley

Photos by Provisional Crystal Carcell

What do you get when you mix 40 enthusiastic Junior League women and a St. Patrick's Day Parade? A fun morning filled with a float, candy, flyers and advertisements for the newest fundraising project for the Junior League, Touch a Truck!

Junior League of Columbia celebrated everyone's favorite green holiday by participating in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 16th. Active and provisional members of JLC walked in the parade for the second straight year to promote Touch A Truck. Provisionals, as one of their projects, decorated and coordinated the parade participation.

To our surprise, the large enthusiastic crowd started shouting "Touch A Truck" and "Junior League" as we walked by. The League members waved and had a great interaction with the crowd encouraging them to attend the event.

This fun event allowed JLC to team up with other groups in the community, including Family Connections, to support each group's cause and of course, St. Patrick's Day. Don't forget to purchase your tickets for Touch a Truck, which will be held on April 13, 2013 at the State Farmers Market in West Columbia. We hope to see you there!