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Kids for Wish Kids/ Wishmakers on Campus
presentation events |
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2012-13 School Year |
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March 21, 2013
Camden High School, Midlands Region
Congratulations to Camden High School, who through the Wishmakers on Campus program of Make-A-Wish SC raised $1,294 to help grant the wish of four-year-old Taylor of Columbia. She has leukemia and wished to meet the princesses at Walt Disney World resort. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and should be finished with treatment this May.
Local Trusted Choice® agent Victor Jowers of Upchurch & Jowers Ins Agency in Camden was onsite with Make-A-Wish's Mary Silverberg to announce to the students that Trusted Choice® was matching their gift! |
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March 13, 2013
IIABSC Spring Conference, Columbia
During the afternoon session of the Spring Conference, IIABSC and Trusted Choice renewed its commitment to the Make-A-Wish partnership, pledging $57,500 in support. We also got the special treat of hearing from one of our own who has been touched by Make-A-Wish and the Kids for Wish Kids® programs, Jason Bateman of U.S. Insurance Services spoke about his son's experience riding Mickey's steam train at Walt Disney World and what it meant to their family. |
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L to R: IIABSC Chairman of the Board Ashley Brady, Trusted Choice Committee Chairman Tom Bates, Make-A-Wish SC CEO Russell Smith and IIABSC President and National Trusted Choice® Board member Frank Sheppard. |
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February 5, 2013
West Florence High School, Pee Dee Region
Congratulations to West Florence High School, who through the Wishmakers on Campus program of Make-A-Wish SC raised $5,550 to help grant the wish of local five-year-old Mary Clare of Hartsville. She has hypoplastic left heart syndrome and wished to be a princess at Disney World.
Local Trusted Choice® agents Richard Walker of Cormell Street & Patterson and John Braddy of Braddy Insurance were onsite with IIABSC President Frank Sheppard and Make-A-Wish's Russell Smith to announce to the students that Trusted Choice was matching their gift!
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December 17, 2012
Mauldin Middle School, Upstate Region
Congratulations to Mauldin Middle School, for participating in their second year with the Make-A-Wish/Trusted Choice® partnership. They raised $3,200 to grant Wish Kid Aaron's wish of going to Disney World Resort in Florida.
Trusted Choice® agent Curtis Taylor from Herlong Bates Burnett agency was onsite to meet Aaron and announce to students that Trusted Choice is matching their contribution to Aaron, age 5, who has congenital heart disease. |
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December 12, 2012
Laurens Middle School, Upstate Region |
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Congratulations to Laurens Middle School. Students raised more than $1,000 for Wish Kid Dylan, age six. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy for Acute T-cell Leukemia. His wish is to go to Disney World Resort in Florida to meet Micky Mouse and see a castle. Trusted Choice is matching the funds raised by LMS students and hopes Dylan and his family have a great time!
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December 12, 2012
Chapin High School, Midlands Region |
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The fun continued today at Chapin High School where the entire student body celebrated the holiday season along with Wish Kid Lorelei, age four, who was two congenital heart defects and aortic stenosis. The CHS Student Council raised $5,600, which Trusted Choice® matched, to send Lorelei and her family to Disney World. The entire gymnasium gave a standing ovation when IIABSC President Frank Sheppard announced the matching contribution to their efforts.
Trusted Choice® agents also in attendance were Gus Brabham of Frank B. Norris & Company and Scott Moseley of Irmo Insurance Agency. Thanks guys!
In the center, holding a plaque and smiling, is Make-A-Wish representative Mary Silverberg.
Local news coverage:
WIS website
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December 4, 2012
Spartanburg High School, Upstate Region |
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Today kicked off the 2012-13 school year for Make-A-Wish Kids for Wish Kids® and Wishmakers on Campus® programs. Today's presentation was equally special because Campbell, the Wish Kid, and his family were in attendence. He is four year old with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer. Spartanburg High School Student Council raised $5,727.40, which Trusted Choice® matched, sending Campbell and his family on a six-night trip to Disney World in Florida.
Trusted Choice® representatives in attendence were Steve Cannon of Law Insurance, Jon Jensen of Correll Insurance Group and Nate Toms of CWS Insurance. Thanks guys!
They even made the local paper! |
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2011-12 School Year |
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May 21, 2012
Laurens High School Dist. 55, Midlands Region
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May 18, 2012 |
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Lower Richland High School, Midlands Region
Today, Mary Silverberg from Make-A-Wish SC and I attended the presentation by the Lower Richland High School's International Baccalaureate program. It was a great experience. Unfortunately the child couldn’t be there, but when I announced that we were going to match their gift, they seemed to be really excited. It is amazing that fifteen kids could raise $3,000! I was honored to be there and hope that I can participate in another one. Thanks Mary, for being there and all that you guys are doing!
-- Gus Brabham, CIC, Frank B. Norris & Co. |
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Inman Intermediate School, Upstate Region
Today, Trusted Choice® agent Terri Newmark from Correll Insurance Group and I attended the presentation award ceremony at Inman Intermediate School in Inman, SC. The students raised $903....BUT WAIT...thanks to Trusted Choice®, it is $1,806!
This week has been an absolute whirlwind with at least one presentation every day! Each person I meet from TC is so excited and proud to announce the matching gift, but not nearly as excited as the students. Everyone with MAW is very proud and honored to have partnered with Trusted Choice®. Seeing this program come together as we had envisioned it is very exciting. You folks from TC have been with us every step of the way...THANKS!!
-- Russell S. Smith, CEO, Make-A-Wish SC
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May 16, 2012
Gettys Middle School, Upstate Region
Today I represented Trusted Choice® at the Gettys Middle School grant presentation ceremony for the Kids for Wish Kids® program. The National Honor Society students from this school in Easley, SC, raised $2,200 to grant the wish of a little girl named Zayley. Trusted Choice® matched their total!
-- Curtis Taylor, Herlong Bates Burnett Insurance, Inc.
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May 15, 2012
Greenville Academy, Upstate Region
Today Trusted Choice agent Julie Turner of the Turner Agency joined me at Greenville Academy for their check presentation event. Photo at right is me on the left, Greenville Academy student and representative Jonathan, and Julie. $3,000 check + match = $6,000. Good team effort! The students were very excited to learn about the matching gift!!
--Russell S. Smith, President & CEO, Make-A-Wish SC |
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May 1, 2012
Landrum High School, Upstate Region |
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Today I had the honor and privilege to attend and represent IIABSC and our Trusted Choice® Agents at a check presentation at Landrum High School. The LHS Beta Club raised $400, which Trusted Choice® will match to help with a wish from a 5-year-old youngster from Spartanburg, Tristan. He suffers from leukemia, and his wish is to go to Disney World.
It was very rewarding to let the members of the LHS Beta Club know that their gift of $400 grew to $800 with our match. Thanks for asking me to represent IIABSC and Trusted Choice®.
--- Bob Walker, Landrum Insurance Agency, a division of Correll Insurance Group
( in blue Trusted Choice® golf shirt at right). |
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April 26, 2012
South Aiken High School, Midlands Region |
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Today Trusted Choice® matched the funds raised by the South Aiken High School Student Council during their check presentation ceremony. Representing Trusted Choice® was Paul Durban from Durban-Laird's Insurance Agency and myself, Kelly Frontroth, from Hutson-Etherredge Companies. Unfortunately, Brenda Simmons from Joe B. Babb and Company was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
Representing Make-A-Wish South Carolina was Russell Smith.
When we arrived all of the youth were very excited and proud of their accomplishment.
They raised $6,436.80 for Make-A-Wish SC, which was then matched by Trusted Choice®, totaling $12,873.60, the most raised by any school in South Carolina!
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Not only were we impressed by how hard the youth at South Aiken worked, but what they did to demonstate the importance of Make-A-Wish to children with a life-threatening medical condition. Here's what they did: both teachers and students submitted a simple wish they would like to have granted. One teacher and one student request were drawn at random and the Student Council had a week to make the wishes come true. An example of one of these requests was for a box of Girl Scout cookies. Sounds like a simple request, but Girl Scouts were not selling cookies at the time. It was the Student Council's job to track down a box of cookies in order to make this wish come true. Once they were able to grant the wish, they presented the wish to the recipient dressed as….well take a look.
That week, everyone in the school not only learned what it meant to give a wish, but also learned what it felt like to have a wish granted.
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Make-A-Wish SC is an optimistic organization in a pessimistic world. Many of the children in the program have come to terms with the reality of their life, and they just wish to be, to go, to have or to meet that one special wish…that one dream that can become a reality, even if just for a moment. This possibility is what South Aiken High School Students learned.
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Without even knowing it, these youth’s granted my unknown wish. As I look over this group of school leaders, I realized I was once in their shoes, as I was the Student Council President in 1984. To be able to look back and see how much the school has grown over the years and how strong the youth have become... I was filled with so much pride and joy. When I left that day, I left my wish for them. My wish is that in the future they will be able to come back to South Aiken, to stand where I was standing, and to see a new generation inspiring others.
Thank you Trusted Choice®, for this opportunity!
- Kelly Frontroth, AAI, API, CPIW, Hutson-Etherredge Companies
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February 3, 2012
West Florence High School, Florence Region |
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Today was not a typical presentation in that the ceremony was in conjunction with a memorial service of one of West Florence's former teachers. It was extra special though because the wish child, four-year-old Grace, and her family were there.
Accompanied by Richard Walker from Florence, IIABSC Chairman of the Board Ashley Brady from Marion, John Braddy from Dillon and Russell Smith of Make-A-Wish, we matched the efforts of West Florence High students to a total of $8,000 so that Grace can enjoy a trip to Walt Disney World with her family. The contribution was made in the name of former teacher Hannah Sharper, who leaves behind a legacy of community service in all her students.
--- Frank Sheppard, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of SC |
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(Above left:) Russell Smith, Make-A-Wish SC; John Braddy, Braddy Insurance; Frank Sheppard, IIABSC; Richard Walker, Cormell Street & Patterson; and Ashley Brady, First Charter Co., stand with wish kid Grace and her family during the memorial service for West Florence High School teacher, Ms. Hannah Sharper.
(Above right:) John Braddy and Ashley Brady talk with Grace about her trip.
(Left:) Richard Walker, Ashley Brady and Frank Sheppard talk with students about their fundraising project for wish kid Grace.
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January 26, 2012
Mauldin Middle School, Upstate Region |
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Today marked the first opportunity to award a Trusted Choice/Make-A-Wish matching grant. We turned $3,100 into $6,200!!!! Curtis Taylor and I attended with Russell and Chelsea from Make-A-Wish SC. Russell spoke for a moment, introduced Curtis and me as special guests to make a VERY SPECIAL announcement. We explained Trusted Choice®, our involvement as a state association, congratulated them on their achievement, and in honor of their efforts through a matching grant program we wanted to double their money.
The roof almost came down they were so excited!!!!! This presentation was done at a pep rally, with 1,200 students in attendance!!! Teachers, coaches, the Principal all came up to thank us. VERY moving and really validated our decision to be a part of this charity!
---Tom Bates, Herlong Bates Burnett Insurance, SC Trusted Choice® Chairman |
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