MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – Celebrate The Season raised $150,720.17 in 2016 for charities serving Berkeley County and the tri-county area. The month-long holiday festival has raised more than $712,000 since its 2011 debut, which includes sponsorships, gate returns, proceeds from vendor sales and the Tinsel Trot holiday fun run.
“Celebrate The Season has raised almost three quarters of a million dollars for local charities in six years, and we owe that to our generous sponsors, volunteers and the community members who visit Celebrate The Season,” said Santee Cooper President & CEO Lonnie Carter. “Everyone involved should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
Santee Cooper is title sponsor and organizer for Celebrate The Season and Tinsel Trot, which are held annually at the utility’s Moncks Corner headquarters and its adjacent Old Santee Canal Park. Berkeley Electric Cooperative is Celebrate The Season’s presenting sponsor.
Santee Cooper distributed $80,937.02 in donations from the 2016 Celebrate The Season proceeds to the Coastal Community Foundation’s Giving Back to Berkeley Fund. An additional donation, of $15,000, was made to the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center.
Along with Berkeley Electric Cooperative, major sponsors Berkeley County, Goodwill Industries, and Home Telecom each received $4,927.38 to give to charities of their choosing: the American Cancer Society, the Berkeley County Economic Development Corp., the Palmetto Warrior Connection, and the Home Community Fund. In addition and included in the total of over $150,700, 16 nonprofit vendors raised $35,073.65 for the charities of their choice.
“The impact of our Giving Back to Berkeley County Fund is amplified tremendously thanks to the continued generosity of Santee Cooper, Berkeley Electric Cooperative, and the citizens of Berkeley County,” said Caroline Mullins, program officer at Coastal Community Foundation. “Celebrate The Season provides an important opportunity to deepen our reach in Berkeley County. We’re grateful for this year’s gift of $80,937 and look forward to deploying those funds for the betterment of the community.”
“A lot of work goes into providing holiday enjoyment at this level. We are proud to partner with Santee Cooper and their labor of love,” said Dwayne Cartwright, Berkeley Electric Cooperative president and CEO. “We could not give back to our community as abundantly if not for the efforts of both of our employees and the support of the community.”
In addition to Celebrate The Season’s focus on charitable giving, the event is also distinguished by exclusively using energy-efficient LED lights in the displays lining the Holiday Lights Driving Tour, and by powering the entire festival with renewable Green Power from Santee Cooper.
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