Bush visits to give praise, raise GOP cash

President Bush made his fifth — and possibly last — trip to the Charleston Air Force Base on today where he praised a world champion softball team before helping raise $1.4 million for the national Republican Party.

“Proud to be with you,” were the only audible words heard over the din of roaring helicopter engines as Bush congratulated the “Simpsonville Stars,” winners of this year’s Little League Softball World Series.

After a short picture-taking session with the players, Bush and first lady Laura Bush headed for Kiawah Island and a closed-door reception with the Republican National Committee. It drew up to 100 people.

The appearance was part of a $1.4 million fundraising haul at Kiawah, the RNC said Friday.

In all, the Bushes were on the ground a few hours.

The president and the first lady arrived in separate planes about 10 minutes apart Friday afternoon as Bush was traveling on Air Force One from a fundraiser in Florida. He spoke in support of a free Cuba.

At the base, Bush waved to the crowd and shook hands with U.S. Rep. Henry Brown but did not make a formal statement. The first couple then greeted a few hundred airmen and their families before posing for pictures with the girls’ team, winners of the softball series played in August in Portland, Ore.

Coach Roger O’Donald said the president’s visit meant a lot to a group that represented a small town of 15,000 people south of Greenville, on the world stage.

“He congratulated us on a job well done,” O’Donald said. “He said, ‘You won it all.’ ” Members of the team, mostly 11- and-12 year old girls, said meeting the president was as equal a thrill to winning the world crown.

“The World Series was better for my sports world, but meeting the president was better for my life” experience, said pitcher Carley Hoover, 13.

“Both were great,” said leftfielder Erin Errington, 12. “It was great to win and it was great to meet the president.” The team won the world title after coming from behind and rallying for five runs with two outs to defeat the East region U.S. team from Robbinsville, N.J.. The series is the equivalent of the boys’ Little League World Series that finishes in Williamsport, Pa. After the president’s departure, the girls’ team headed home for another game in the morning. Their record is 80-7 one of the coaches said. Most of the team have been playing together for several years.

Bush also presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Eileen Hadbavny. Hadbavny is a volunteer with the Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Hadbavny has been an American Red Cross volunteer for 20 years and has been volunteering with the Carolina Lowcountry chapter since 2003, where she has logged more than 7,000 volunteer hours.

The Bushes returned to Washington on tonight after the Kiawah event. The trip was Bush’s first visit to South Carolina since he gave the commencement address at Furman University in May.