State grants committee awards $1.2M for Lowcountry projects
By Yvonne Wenger
Lowcountry's slice of state grants pie
Here's a look at Charleston-area recipients of grants from the Competitive Grants Committee:
-- $200,000 for Mount Pleasant to help fund the sweetgrass basket pavilion and parking spaces as part of a planned waterfront park at the foot of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
-- $100,000 for the American College of the Building Arts in North Charleston for general operations and courses.
-- $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry Inc. for a project to help young people.
-- $100,000 for Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc. for "Teach Charleston," a program to attract about 100 in-demand teachers.
-- $100,000 for the Flowertown Festival in Summerville.
-- $95,000 to Charleston for the Camden Towers restoration project as part of the city's urban renewal efforts.
-- $95,000 for the Free Enterprise Foundation to promote South Carolina and the global economy in the Caribbean Leadership Summit in Charleston.
-- $50,000 to promote travel and tourism for Gullah Geechee Nation in the Lowcountry.
-- $49,980 toward a Rifle Range Road park in Mount Pleasant.
-- $28,856 to help teach vocational skills to children aging out of the foster care system in North Charleston.
-- $12,000 for the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps for operations, training, uniforms, travel and other expenses.
-- $6,000 for scholarships for the Lowcountry Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy.
COLUMBIA — About $1.2 million will stream into Charleston-area nonprofits and local governments, including $250,000 for the Lowcountry Food Bank, from the state's competitive grants fund.
The Competitive Grants Committee on Friday awarded grants ranging from $6,000 to $250,000 to about a dozen local projects. In all, the committee granted more than $10.5 million to about 160 projects across the state.
The program has come under fire recently after critics have accused it of being a method to fund legislative pet projects with little accountability. Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed money in the state budget for the grants, but the Legislature overrode the vetoes.
"There's obviously a lot of very meritorious projects awarded through the program, but the problem is there is no competitive ranking for the projects that are awarded," Sanford's spokesman Joel Sawyer said.
Jimmy Bailey of West Ashley, chairman of the committee, said the committee reviewed about 3,000 applications and tried to award the money across the state. Committee members serve by legislative appointment.
"I am very comfortable with the process and how it's working," said Bailey, who served in the state House from 1988 to 1994. He challenged opponents to look at the funded projects and make arguments about why they are not worthwhile.
D. Jermaine Husser, executive director of the Lowcountry Food Bank, said the grant money is vital to the program, which must find a new place to operate by January. The money will be used to purchase or build a new facility.
"At a critical time in the history of the food bank, it is very meaningful to us that our state supports us in our mission to end hunger by finding a new home," Husser said in a statement.
The committee, which is expected to meet again in late fall, is not currently accepting new applications. All requests not approved will have to be resubmitted. The applications must be backed by a legislator for submission.
Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.
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