Hooray for 2010!
For many people, 2009 is a year they would like to forget! As the unemployment and foreclosure rates soared to their highest levels in our collective memory, the mood of the country fluctuated as much as the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Yet, our little town has a constant among all these changes: the generous and giving spirit of the people who live here. Time and again I am amazed by how this community gathers around those in need. Whether it’s a sick child, an injured person or a cause, you and your neighbors continually contribute what you can to help.
As your mayor, there is no way I can highlight each part of this collective spirit. However, I want to honor a few of our charitable heroes and thank you and your neighbors for helping each other every time a need arises.
Long-time Bluffton resident Jerry Reeves III is foremost in my mind when I think of people who make a difference. Reeves has made a home and a difference here for nearly 50 years. He started Resort Services on Buck Island Road, and today it is one of the biggest employers in town. In the late ‘80s, he brought the Oyster Company out of bankruptcy and then sold it to the Open Land Trust to ensure its legacy here. Yet, his business dealings are only part of his story of generosity. He made arrangements for the Children’s Center to relocate to the former McCracken Middle School through a $1-a-year lease to the town. Jerry Reeves embodies the charitable spirit that makes this Bluffton so special. Thank you, Jerry, for all your years of service.
Another person’s vision has helped Bluffton families bridge the gaps of financial need for more than 20 years. Ida Martin founded Bluffton Self Help. Last year alone, the organization gave away more than 42,000 food items to more than 9,000 people. One of the community’s newest nonprofits is The Curry Foundation. Started by Thomas M. Curry Jr. , the foundation helps supports families who have a member experiencing a life-altering tragedy. Ask Bluffton resident Ben Kennedy, who is battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, what a difference it makes. The foundation is helping out the Kennedy family with their bills so their energy can be used for healing and comfort. The foundation’s motto is: “When many give a little — it helps someone out a lot.” That really sums up the giving spirit of the foundation and Bluffton.
There are too many heroes — individuals and charities — to name. But I thank each of you, as individuals or as an organization, who time and again lend a hand to your neighbors. It’s people like you and those named here that makes Bluffton a great place to live or visit for a day, a decade or a lifetime.
Lisa Sulka is the mayor of Bluffton.
