Advertise With The Blythewood Leader!

• Toastmasters: Be a confident speaker. Learn Public
Speaking & Leadership Skills in a fun and supportive
environment. Palmetto Health Richland Toastmasters
Club meets on the 1st & 3rd Tue. of every month at
Palmetto Health Richland Hospital campus, Catawba
Meeting Room, 8 Medical Park, Columbia, SC 29203.
For more info, call Viji Sashikant, VP-PR, 348-
9922. Visit the website: http://www.orgsites.com/sc/
pbmctoastmasters/
• The 2009 Northeast Richland Relay For Life will
be held at Blythewood High School on Friday, May 29
to Saturday May 30, 2009, from 6pm to 6am. We
are looking for survivors, caregivers, and teams.
Last year the event was a huge success. Adults and
students alike enjoyed this event and their participation
was phenomenal. Your team can be comprised of all
adults or students with you as the sponsor, church,
or civic teams. If you are a survivor, caregiver, or
are interested in having a team in this event, please
contact Kim Bone at kbone@bh.richland2.org or
803-315-7220.
• 4-H Community Club forming in Blythewood. The
4-H Community Club will be meeting the first and third
Tuesdays of the month. Open to ages 13-15, the meetings
will be from 6:00-7:30pm. For more information, contact
Paulette Gay at 803-359-8515, ext. 124, or Tara Turner at
803-730-8279. Topics will include energy conservation,
horticulture, wildlife and many others.
• The 3rd Annual Spring Fling Carnival is less
than a month away! We are looking for vendors!
All Crafters, small Business Vendors, non profit and
community service organizations are welcomed. The
Annual Spring Fling Carnival is scheduled to be held
on Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 10am to 2pm at
Sandlapper Elementary School, 1001 Longtown Rd.
The carnival is sponsored by the Sandlapper Elementary
School PTO in partnership with Columbia Crossroads
Northeast Church. Booth Space is available. For more
information please contact Lahassanda Brown @ 803-
543-0993 or by email at lahassanda@hotmail.com.
• South Carolina Family And Community Leaders.
Join the SC Family and Community Leaders group in
your area as we strive to strengthen families and local
communities by promoting education and leadership
programs on familes, finances, environment, health,
nutrition, food safety. and special projects. South
Carolina FCL groups are in partnership with Clemson
Extension Services. We have groups in Blythewood,
Horrell Hill, Columbia, and Northeast Columbia. For
more info on Richland County FCL call 788-1282.
•Kershaw County Wildlife EXPO 2009, April 25,
2009, Rhame Arena, (corner of Broad & Bull, Camden),
Free to the Public, doors open at 3pm, at 4:45 door
prizes begin. Displays and product vendors onsite for
hunters and fishermen. Retriever Deomonstration,
Car show, DNR booth and Interactive hunting game.
John Sorrells, former teacher and coach, bird caller,
and story-teller will be the guest speaker. Program
begins at 6pm. more information, call Bill Childers,
669-9505, Carl Kambeitz, 803-432-2091.
community happenings
• Blythewood Lions Club Vidalia Onions Fundraiser.
The Blythewood Lions Club members are now taking
orders for vidalia onions again this year. The Blythewood
Lions Club members are selling ten pound bags of freshly
grown Georgia vidalia onions. The high quality vidalia
onions are sold by an advance order of a ten pound bag for
$10. The Columbia area Lions Clubs have a huge truck
load of fresh vidalia onions delivered to Columbia (direct
from the Georgia grower) in early May. A limited supply
of bags of vidalia onions are ordered and typically sell out
quickly. The profits from this fundraiser will be directed
to the local community for eye exams, eyeglasses, major
sight saving eye surgeries, hearing aids, and community
projects such as Special Olympics and Salkehatchie
Summer Service (Blythewood and Fairfield County).
Contact any Blythewood Lions Club member or contact
Lion Curtis Lever at 803-735-1595 to submit your order.
The bags of onions will be available for customer pickup
in the early May timeframe.
• The American Legion Blythewood Post 191 meets the
3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at Blythewood
Community Center located at 311 Blythewood Road,
Blythewood, SC. All veterans are welcomed to be a part
of an organization that is making a difference in your
community. If you need further information, please
contact Post Commander, Oscar Coward Jr. at 803-
600-7079 or email us at blythewood191@yahoo.com.
•“Spring Fever” show to start at Village Artists
gallery in Columbia. The Village Artists gallery in the
Village at Sandhill shopping center in Columbia, South
Carolina will present an exhibition of 2D art centered
around the theme of Spring. The exhibition will open on
April 1 and continue through June 15, 2009. For further
information about Village Artists call 803/699-8886 or
email villageartists@villageatsandhill.net. The gallery
is located at 631-8 Promenade Place in the Village at
Sandhill Shopping Center next to Panera.
•The Blythewood Masonic Lodge will host an oyster
roast on Saturday, April 25 beginning at 6:30pm at
The Blythewood Masonic Lodge across from Sandy
Level Baptist Church. Roasted oysters, pulled pork
BBQ, Slaw, Baked Beans and Tea. Advanced ticket
sales only. Tickets are $25. Free hotdogs and chips
for children 12 and under. For more info, call Mike
Morrison at 803-513-3023.
• The MOMS Club of Columbia-North, a support group
for stay-at-home mothers and children, meets regularly for
a variety of activities. Please contact Mary Ann Adams
at maryannhadams@gmail.com or 754-2603 for more
information.
• The Richland County Recreation Commission
and the Clemson University Cooperative Extension
Service and Institute for Economic and Community
Development will host four free community workshops
that will offer ideas and concepts for everyday green
living. The workshops will be held from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
at the following locations: April 30, Friarsgate Park, 1712
Chadford Road, Irmo. May 5, Adult Activity Center, 7494
Parklane Road, Columbia. May 7, Blythewood Park, 126
Boney Road, Blythewood. May 14, Hopkins Park, 150
Hopkins Park Road, Hopkins Workshops are free, but
please register by calling Monica Miller, (803) 865-1216
ext. 115.
Page 4 • April 23,2009 •
•The Kershaw County Library is proud to announce
our first “Food for Fines” Month. During the month
of May all branches of the Kershaw County Library
will be accepting donations of non-perishable food
items. For each item donated, $1.00 in fines will be
waived. Donated items will be given to the local Food
Pantry of the Christian Communities Ministry. Nonperishable
items will be accepted—please no damaged
or expired items. In order for fines to be waived,
items must be returned to the library. This promotion
applies only to existing fines. Lost or damaged fees,
as well as collection fees will not be waived. For more
information on this promotion, please contact Liz
Campbell at 803.425-1508.
•Bridge Game every other Monday at Jeep Rodgers
Family Y from 11am-2pm. For more information call
George Nichols at 803-807-1859.
• BlueShield of South Carolina will be having its third
annual National Walk @ Lunch Day, Wednesday, April
29. In addition to a walking course, the community
events will include music, health screenings conducted
by local hospitals and other organizations, healthrelated
information, chair massages, live broadcasts
from radio and television stations, giveaways, and
more. The walk will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
at the Statehouse in Columbia.
• Seeds of Wellness Sow Health Fair. Free healthy
lifestyle information, door prizes and refreshments.
Saturday, May 2, 10am-2pm, Upper Richland
Community Center, 280 Campground Road. For more
information, contact Shirley McMillian at 754-6720,
ext. 200.
• Ridge View Spring Service Project for Invisible
Children in Uganda, Africa. Northern Uganda has
been hit hard by a civil war that has lasted over 23 years.
Because of this civil war, the country continues to be
threatened by violence, disease, mental and physical
issues, etc. One of the biggest concerns is the safety
and well-being of the children, who have come to be
known as Invisible Children. This year, Ridge View
will be raising money for Awere Secondary School
in northern Uganda, Africa. “Night Commuting”
Awareness Walk: Friday, April 24, 5:30 pm-7:30
pm. This is a walk to highlight the plight of the night
commuters: children who must walk from their village
to the city to remain safe from the LRA. The walk will
begin at Ridge View High School, move through the
Summit and end at the main fountain at the Village at
Sandhill. Parents, students, and community members
are invited to participate. To participate in walk: $5.
Registration forms available at www.rvhs.org. HOPE
4 Uganda Benefit Rally: Saturday, May 16, 2009,
3:00 pm- 8:00 pm, Clemson’s Sandhill Research and
Education Center. Advance Tickets: $10 (www.etix.
com; Search HOPE 4 Uganda Benefit) / At the Door:
$15
• 49th Annual Iris Flower Show presented by the
SC Iris Society. Standard flower show w/ designs and
horticulture, Saturday, April 25, 1pm-4pm. FREE to the
public. Maxcy Gregg Park, 1605 Park Circle, Columbia.
For more info., call Joan Hartman @ 783-4604.
The Blythewood Leader