A banner year for the Lake Murray Sailing Association – The mission of the LMSA is to promote youth sailing on Lake Murray, 2010 was a most successful year. In all 173 students attend the annual summer camp which operated for 8 weeks from mid-June until early August. Most of the competitive sailors will continue in the Winter Learn to Sail/Race program which starts on Jan. 8 and runs through the end of March. The 28 students on LMSA “sailing team” come from all over the area, so the draw is not restricted to the Chapin area. The 12 students with the highest skill levels will be the counselors and instructors for 2011 as the LMSA/LM Sailing Club partnership builds stronger and larger camps and reaches deeper into the community.

Gilbert Middle makes the holidays brighter for troops – A month long Yellow Ribbon Campaign at Gilbert Middle School will result in brighter holidays for military troops serving overseas. GMS students, families and local businesses donated hundreds of items from candy to dental floss, personal hygiene products to flashlights. Fujifilm even donated 60 waterproof cameras. GMS partnered with the Blue Star Mothers of the Midlands for the campaign. The group helped promote the drive and will ship the items to deployed soldiers.

New Providence students help fund Harvest Hope – Students at the New Providence Elementary School in Lexington will present Harvest Hope Food Bank with donations collected through a week lone friendly football competition to help fund Harvest Hope’s Backpack feeding program to help feed hungry children in Lexington. Students at NPES are using the Clemson-Carolina football rivalry to promote a good cause and challenged students to a one week food drive in support of the favorite team to fund Harvest Hope’s Backpack program. Students have also organized a coin drop game to raise money to fund the program. One class at NPES further challenged the student body to contribute to a coin drive. The goal of the drive is to show students the value of a dollar and illustrate how one dollar donated to Harvest Hope Food Bank can buy seven pounds of food. Many midlands area school children are at-risk of hunger over the weekends and when school is not in session. The Backpack program fills in the gaps for these children, by packing a backpack with healthy food that can be easily prepared by a child. The food is non-perishable, easily consumer and vitamin fortified, like juice, pudding, granola bars, canned soup and peanut butter.

**All information courtesy of The Lake Murray News**