Hootie gives schools a hand

DANIEL ISLAND — Hootie fans came out in force for some music and a good cause Friday night at the Family Circle Magazine Stadium.

They sold out the 8,000-seat venue and filled a yellow school bus with donated school supplies for children during the sixth annual Hootie and the Blowfish Homegrown Concert.

In 2003, budget cuts for schools across the country were the talk of nightly news broadcasts, and the band's members came up with the idea to ask fans to bring school supplies to their annual Charleston concert, Susan Graham, director of artist and media relations for the band's Fishco Management in Columbia, said.

The supplies are donated to Charleston County schools.

"The community embraced it," Graham said. "We filled a gigantic school bus the first year, so we've come back every year and done it again."

Keighley Skelton, 25, and Jessica Holley, 26, drove down from Columbia for the concert. The two elementary school teachers brought crayons, pencils and notebooks. "We always know that there is a great need for school supplies," Skelton said.

This year, the band expanded the supplies effort to all 25 concerts in its summer concert series. They collected school supplies in big cities such as Baltimore and Chicago, and in smaller cities, such as Cohasset, Mass., Graham said. Also, the band's foundation raises money for education projects in South Carolina.

At the concert, state Education Superintendent Jim Rex was set to honor the band as the first recipient of a new award alled the Palmetto Ambassador for Education,in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the public schools.

Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com.