Around Town: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024
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Prisma Health will offer free flu shots from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Sumter High School, 2580 McCrays Mill Road (enter through Gate 1). The shot is available for anyone 6 months and older. Vaccines cannot be given to those who have COVID-19 or think they have COVID-19. Limited high-dose flu vaccines will be offered for people age 65 and older. Please wear loose-fitting clothing that can easily roll up. Consent forms are required and available at each site. A valid driver's license or photo ID also is required. There is no out-of-pocket cost to receive a flu shot. Health insurance is not required but please bring your insurance card if you have it. Children under the age of 16 require a parent/guardian signature. Flu shots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The South Carolina Education Association Retired is seeking new members. The group meets at 11 a.m. at the North HOPE Center, 904 N. Main St., every fourth Wednesday of the month unless otherwise specified. Dates for the 2024-25 year are: In 2024, Oct. 23, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18; and in 2025, Jan. 22, Feb. 26, March 26 and May 28. Contact Ernestine Mickens at (803) 840-2156 for further information.
Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, 155 Wall St., will hold its Candidates Forum Election 2024 at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. For information, call (803) 775-4041.
AARP will hold a Smart Driver course at Palmetto Goodwill, 1028 Broad St., Sumter, Oct 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn how to drive more safely, and you might get a discount on your car insurance. Open to all ages. $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members for course materials. Call (830) 308-9241 for information and registration.
Shiloh Project Lift's Fall Festival is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the St. John Elementary School grounds, 4515 Narrow Paved Road, Lynchburg. The group's first fall festival is a fundraiser for renovations of the school building and will include a silent auction, bingo, music, table games/prizes, face painting, three-on-three basketball game, vendors, alumni fellowship, barbecue sales and more. Contact D. Naomi Edwards, executive director, at (803) 453-5541 or (803) 459-7463.
There will be a "Family Forum" for parents and guardians on Monday, Nov. 4, at Westend Community Church, 101 S. Salem Ave., Sumter, where the Rev. Dr. Ralph W. Canty is pastor, at 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by The One Sumter Community Group with the theme "Family Dynamics from Conception to the Grave," and the topic will have a Biblical perspective.
The Church Women United of the Greater Sumter Area will celebrate World Community Day at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Mount Olive AME Church, 2738 Woodrow Road. The theme is "Walk Humbly with God." We are requesting that everyone bring hygiene care kits with a comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, lotion, socks and wash cloth placed in a resealable plastic bag to assist the homeless in the community.
On Monday, Nov. 11, the Sumter County Veterans Association will host its annual Veterans Day Event. The Veterans Day Parade will start at the comer of Main and Bartlette streets and begins at 10 a.m., traveling down Main Street. The Veterans Day Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on the front lawn of the courthouse, and immediately following, vendors will host our meet and greet on the back lawn of the courthouse at 141 N. Main St., Sumter.
The Evening Optimist Club is accepting applications for the annual Sumter Christmas Parade which will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. The theme for the 2024 Christmas Parade is "Believe." If your school, civic club, church, or business would like an application, please contact Gail Hyatt at (803) 983-3916, or via email, gailhyatt@sc.rr.com. Deadline for entry is Friday, Nov. 15.
If you have any used bicycles you no longer want, donate them to be fixed up and given to children at Christmas by dropping them off at any Sumter fire station in the city and county all year 'round. Palmetto Optimist Club is accepting the bicycles, in partnership with the Sumter Evening Optimist Club.
Moms of Sumter Addicts (MOSA) Prayer Group meets the second Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Birnie Hope Center, 210 S. Purdy St., Sumter. This is not a step program or a self-help group but is a group of mothers of addicts spending time in prayer and working to understand and encourage the building of a personal support network. MOSA does not judge, criticize, give advice or discuss other members' situations. For information on the group, contact MOSA.prayer@gmail.com.