Published by The Pilot – August 7, 2010

Volunteers are stuffing school buses with back-to-school supplies for local students while local shoppers take advantage of tax-free purchases this weekend.

The effort is part of the Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive sponsored by Communities in Schools. The event, which began at 8 a.m. yesterday, lasts through today and tomorrow and encourages people to donate supplies for students who cannot afford to purchase supplies.

Communities in Schools volunteer Yvonne Peterson puts donated school supplies on a bus parked in front of Wal-Mart Friday afternoon during the Stuff the Bus with School Supplies event, which lasts through tax-free weekend.

Shoppers can drop off supplies at buses parked at Wal-Mart and Staples in Aberdeen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Volunteers are accepting, pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, 1-inch binders, hand sanitizer, plastic bags in various sizes, disinfectant wipes, colored pencils, notebook paper, scissors, tissues, folders, flat erasers, crayons and highlighters, among other school supplies.

Monetary donations will be used to supplement student activities throughout the year and purchase supplies.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Volunteers will distribute the supplies to all 22 schools in the Moore County Schools system. Students receive the supplies by asking school counselors for them.

The event is held each August during tax-free weekend.

The Communities in Schools is a local organization that brings volunteers into schools to address the unmet needs of children, providing a link between educators and the community.

Contact Hannah Sharpe by e-mail at hannah@thepilot.com.

Published by The Pilot – July 10, 2010

Celebrities are flocking to Pinehurst. First Ben Crenshaw visited, then Henry Winkler, followed by Vince Gill.

Now “The Beast” is coming back to town.

Sean “The Beast” Fister, 15-time Long Drive World Champion, will return to Pinehurst on July 11 and 12 for the fourth annual Fore Kids Sake Golf Tournament benefitting Communities In Schools (CIS).

This golf tournament is not like other tournaments in the area. The Fore Kids Sake tournament has events for both golfers and non-golfers alike.

The event will kick off with a “Feast with the Beast” at the Little River Golf Club, where guests will get a chance to meet Fister while they enjoy cocktails and food.

The cocktail party is open to golfers and non-golfers. Last year, more than 130 people attended the cocktail party, many of whom did not golf in the tournament but wanted to enjoy the evening’s activities, meet the long drive champion and support CIS.

Fister, himself a father of three children, is returning to support CIS for the second year. Last year, he shared his own story about his invaluable experience with his mentor. The story moved many in the crowd to tears.

The highlight of the cocktail party will be a unique long drive event held on the Little River golf course. In a spin-a-raffle, Fister will draw 15 raffle numbers. Each raffle number is assigned a golf ball.

Fister will then hit the balls down the fairway. The three balls he hits the farthest will win prizes such as a stainless steel grill.

Last year, the winning drive was 451 yards. Raffle tickets are sold for $5 apiece.

The tournament itself, held on July 12 at Pinehurst No. 8, will give golfers a chance to compete with each other and watch “The Beast” in action on the course. Some lucky foursomes will even be able to have Fister drive the ball for them.

Last year’s event was very well received.

“The 2009 CIS Fore Kids Sake Golf Tournament was a great time in the outdoors, highlighted by Pinehurst’s No. 8 challenges,” said tournament chair Tom Cruce. “The players thoroughly enjoyed the day, the conditions of the course and the wonderful perks that came with the entry fee. Sean Fister was icing on the cake, as he powered his tee shots 400 yards down the fairway … certainly a gentleman who cares a great deal about kids at risk. He amazed the crowd with the power of his swing and his concern for helping others.”

All proceeds from the event stay in Moore County to support Moore County children, including the 150 children involved in the CIS COMPASS mentoring program.

For more information on the event or to purchase raffle tickets or tickets to the cocktail party, call Communities In Schools at (910) 295-1072.

Communities In Schools of Moore County is a local nonprofit organization helping kids stay in school and prepare for life. CIS provides the COMPASS mentoring program, the CIS FirstSchool Gardens, the SOAR afterschool program and the Stuff the Bus school supply drive to Moore County Schools.

January 12, 2010–Pinehurst, NC— The inaugural Dancing with the Sandhills Stars fundraiser enthralled over 400 attendees and raised over $100,000 for Communities In Schools and Moore Buddies, the two major mentoring programs in Moore County. The event was held at the Pine Needles Resort on January 9, 2010.

After months of hard work, 19 dance couples competed at the event in front of a sold out crowd of 350 guests and an additional 50 volunteers. The dancers were notable local politicians, business owners, athletes and artists including Moore County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Purser, Senator Harris Blake, Southern Pines Mayor Mike Haney, Moore County United Way Executive Director Linda Pearson, STAR 102.5FM radio celebrities Kristen Palmer and Rich Rushford and well-know musician Baxter Clement dancing with his wife Taylor.

Pine Needles Director of Golf Pat McGowan and local community leader Cathy Smith won the championship. Their high-energy dance to Donna Summer’s disco anthem “I Will Survive” sent the crowd cheering for more. Smith and McGowan won by generating the most “votes”. Each vote was sold for $10.

Three additional couples rounded out the top four vote winners. Interior designer Susie Leader and Retired Air Force Colonel Nelson Neil jitterbugged to “Do You Love Me”. Political advocate George Little and his wife Wanda showed the crowd how a Southern Shag dance is really done and Dr. Susan Purser and Senator Harris Blake elegantly waltzed across the stage.

“The real winners tonight are the kids of Moore County,” said Chrisy Connelly, Executive Director of Moore Buddies, “The funds raised this evening will go to help the students who need it the most; those students who can benefit from the support of a caring adult mentor.” Emcee, noted author and Pinestraw Magazine Managing Editor Jim Dodson, kept the crowd and dancers on their toes with his witty introductions of each dance couple. Color commentary was provided by three “judges”, former Red Sox Manager Grady Little, Sandhills Community College President Dr. John Dempsey and Managing Editor of The Pilot Steve Bouser.

The audience clapped, sang along and voted for each couple while watching a broad variety of dance routines including waltzes, swing, shag, hip hop, jive, disco, modern, jazz, lindy, hustle, two-step and jitterbug. Dancers received complimentary choreography and lessons from Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Pinehurst. No matter where the audience was seated they had a prime view of the dancers from either the large raised stage or from one of two enormous Trinitron screens showing each couple as they performed. “There wasn’t a bad seat in the house,” said Tom Cruce Communities In Schools Board Member.

When Susie Leader and Nelson Neil hit the dance floor Saturday, Jan. 9, for the “Dancing with the Sandhills Stars” fundraiser, they will be bringing years of experience at rocking their socks off — and they say they aren’t done yet. Leader and Neil, along with 40 other Moore County celebrities, will put on their dancing shoes to benefit Communities In Schools of Moore County and Moore Buddies, the two major student mentoring programs in Moore County. “Dancing with the Sandhills Stars,” a benefit patterned after the popular TV show, will take place at the Pine Needles Hospitality Center. Each competing couple will gather votes leading up to the event with all proceeds benefiting the two local nonprofit mentoring programs. Neil, nicknamed “Silver Fox Nelson,” likes a challenge. A retired Air Force colonel, he flew 33 planes in three wars with two tours of duty in Vietnam. One of his greatest undertakings was flying a big twin engine airplane and landing a U.S. scientific survey team on the ice near the North Pole, plus resupplying and removing the team. Meanwhile, at a close distance, a Russian survey team was doing the same thing. An 11-handicap, the charming and witty Neil says he loves competing on the dance floor and the golf course. A talented interior designer and an expert who knows the power of attention to details, “Sassy Chasse Susie” (a name given to her by her husband) is everybody’s favorite cheerleader in any of the multiple activities she pursues. She tackles any task or assignment with the vigor of a new adventure. She is an ardent gardener, and, she says, loves her husband, her children and grandchildren, animals, skiing, tennis, golf, long walks and dancing. Leader says that over 50 years ago she and her partner, “Silver Fox Nelson,” were the generation that started the rock ‘n’ roll revolution, and they are still rocking and rolling. Wanda and George Little are very capable of handling any contest, including “Dancing with the Sandhills Stars.” A native of Pinehurst, George Little could write the insider’s guide to politics, as he truly understands the game and the process. With that wellspring of knowledge also comes a thorough understanding of the value of education, honed through many years on the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees. Grace and a good sense of humor are admirable qualities for anyone, and Wanda Little has an abundance of both, as well as a background in education. As a fourth-grade teacher and an assistant principal from Charlotte, she was nominated two times to the “Who’s Who Among American Teachers.” With less than 2 percent of all teachers nominated twice, this is evidence of her high standard of achievement and the respect paid to her by her peers. In true Southern form, the Littles will be shaking up the ballroom with their shag dancing. Among the couples competing against the Littles and the team of Leader and Neil are Janeen Driscoll and Paul Harkness, along with Eve Avery and Jim Byrd. Avery, owner of the stylish Eve Avery Clothing Boutique in Southern Pines, feels very strongly about supporting the area’s businesses and organizations. Avery says that she is thrilled to be giving back to the community once again by participating in Dancing with the Sandhills Stars. Avery’s dance partner, Jim “The Byrdman” Byrd, Moore County executive for Crescent State Bank, is known for his keen attention to detail, expertise in finance and agility on the football field. Byrd is certain to have a well thought out game plan for this competition. He has been in training for this dance contest for a long time and actually has won one before. Never mind, he says, that it was in elementary school and involved a hula hoop. He wonders if that will help his chances with this competition. Currently in charge of communications and public relations for Pinehurst Resort, Janeen Driscoll would rather readers know her as a passionate Steelers fan from Pittsburgh, Pa. — with black and gold in her blood. She has lived in Southern Pines for the past seven years and has actively promoted her community not only in her own profession, but as a board member for several local nonprofit organizations. A gymnast and cheerleader in her younger years, she has no dancing experience but feels her job in public relations has given her quick feet in any situation, including this one. Driscoll’s partner, Paul Harkness, is a jeweler and co-owner of Hawkins and Harkness Fine Jewelry in Southern Pines. Harkness recognizes gems of great quality, among them his wife, Kat, who is a ballerina, graduate gemologist and appraiser. They have lived in the area for 26 years, and they have three children as well as two grandchildren. He likes kicking back, so to speak, with a local group playing drums. Communities In Schools (CIS) provides in-school one-on-one mentoring for at-risk students in Moore County. Similarly, Moore Buddies uses mentoring as an intervention tool for youth who are at risk of not reaching their full potential for various reasons. Both organizations share the common goal of helping a child succeed through a relationship with a caring adult. For a complete listing of the participating dancers and their profiles, or to purchase tickets and cast a vote, visit www.sandhillsstars.com. For information, call (910) 295-1072.