EDITOR’S NOTE: Please note that due to the threat of COVID-19, some of the following events may be canceled or postponed unexpectedly.
The Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter Inc. invites home gardeners from Sumter, Lee, Clarendon and Kershaw counties to participate in the Sumter American Legion Fair Fall Flower Show scheduled for October 18-23. Exhibitors can display their garden foliage, flowers and fruiting branches for the chance to win one or more prizes. Horticulture must be fresh, cared for and grown by or in exhibitor’s possession for a minimum of 90 days. For more details, visit the Sumter American Legion Fair website at http://www.sumterfair.comselect the entry, then scroll down to the Department X-Flower 2022 show. You can also call the American Legion office at (803) 775-5200.
Take part in the Double Dutch Fun Day Thursdays for adults at the South HOPE Center, 1125 S. Lafayette Drive, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every Thursday. Adults 30 and over are welcome to come play games, hula hoop, double Dutch, hopscotch, dancing and more.
The Sumter Ballroom Dance Club meets 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday at the Sumter County Parks and Recreation Department, 155 Haynsworth Street. Beginners are welcome. Classes are $10 per lesson and are held in the Carolina Room. Registration is not required. For more information, call (803) 968-4760.
Sumter Senior Services and Sumter’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Seek Volunteers to support the missions of non-profit organizations in Sumter County. RSVP connects the talents and skills of people 55 and older with nonprofits, community organizations and agencies looking for volunteers. Sumter’s RSVP has ongoing partnerships and volunteer opportunities available with Christian Charities of Sumter, Community Juvenile Arbitration, National Federation of the Blind: Sumter Chapter, Sumter Senior Services (Meals on Wheels), Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital and Hospice, United Ministries of Sumter and the Veterans Administration Community Outpatient Clinic. Volunteer opportunities include delivering meals, sorting non-perishable food donations, mentoring youth, administrative tasks and more. RSVP volunteers can make a difference by investing a few hours a week. If you are 55 or older, a Sumter County resident and would like more information, contact Rebecca Sears at (803) 773-5508 or rsears@sumterseniorservices.org.
The Sumter Coin Club meets from 7-8 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Patriot Park Pavilion. All ages are welcome. Join us to learn more about coins and currencies. We have a door prize, a raffle and an auction at each meeting.
Seniors in Motion Program, offered by Paxville Community Development Corp., takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Wednesday. The program offers a variety of personal skill sets, including technology skills, senior life skills development, bingo and other games, a health and wellness workshop, and a Bible study. Programs operate on the Clarendon School District 2 schedule. For more information, call (803) 452-5124 or email paxvillecdc99@gmail.com.
Santee-Wateree Regional Transportation Authority (SWRTA) offers free rides to COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 testing sites. Contact SWRTA from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (803) 934-0396.
The Sumter Newcomers’ Club welcomes residents at our coffees with guest speakers on the second Friday of each month and our lunches on the fourth Friday of each month at a local restaurant. The club also offers various card games and other games and a book club. If you’re looking for friends or just something to do, come check out the Sumter Newcomers’ Club. Call Shelly at (803) 968-0024.
Marine Corps League Detachment 1202 meets at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at VFW, 1925 Gion St. All Marines present and past are welcome. Dial (803) 972-4555.
General George L. Mabry Jr. Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 817 meets at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Combat Veteran Building, 529 N. Wise Drive, Sumter, SC 29153. The meetings are held to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among veterans injured in combat as well as to promote patriotism, help find information and resources, and provide services to all veterans and their families. For more information, visit purpleheart817sumtersc.com or call (803) 983-3770.
The “Republican” meetings of the GOP are held at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Restaurant at Second Mill (the Quality Inn restaurant), 2390 Broad St., across from the Golden Corral. Meetings are open to anyone 16 years of age or older. For more information and questions, call (803) 972-4555.
American Legion Post 15 meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month (except September when they meet on the second Monday) at 34 S. Artillery Drive. All veterans, past and present, are welcome. Dial (803) 968-5115.
The Sumter County Recreation Department offers after-school programs 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for $5 per week per participant at the following locations: Catchall-Shaw Community Center, Cherryvale Community Center, DeLaine Community Center, Eastern Community Center, Ebenezer Community Center, Rembert/Rafting Creek Community Center, Salterstown Center Shiloh Community and Community Center. Call (803) 436-2248 for more information.
The Sumter Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol meets from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at 2945 Airport Road. There are cadet programs, aerospace education programs, and emergency services programs. Call Lt. Col. George Stanley at (803) 847-7640. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com for information.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 12-1 meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Summerton Fire Station, North Cantey Street, Summerton. Membership is open to any US citizen 17 years of age or older. Prior Coast Guard service is not required. The primary purpose of the Auxiliary is to promote safe boating on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie by providing safe boating courses, courtesy vessel checks for required safety equipment and patrols on lakes offering help to anyone in need. The Auxiliary is also ready to assist the USCG in its search and rescue mission. We encourage anyone interested in participating in our mission to attend a meeting and learn more about the auxiliary.
The Temple Sinai Jewish History Center is looking for docents (tour guides). Guides must be 18 years or older and willing to undergo training before starting. This is a voluntary position and you will be asked to commit at least a few hours per month (Thursday or Friday afternoon or Saturday morning). The museum will work with students who wish to arrange class credit through their college. The Center covers South Carolina and Sumter’s Jewish history, the Holocaust, and Sumter’s ties to the Holocaust. Guides should be friendly and comfortable with children and adults. Contact Diana Roof at (803) 468-8630 or droof@sumtercountymuseum.org or Annie Rivers at (803) 775-0908 or arivers@sumtercountymuseum.org.
Lac Marion Poste VFW 11078, Summerton, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1 Duke St., Summerton, behind First Citizens Bank. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. All VFW members are encouraged to attend. Call Carl A. Farley at (803) 460-8910.
The Bishopville/Manning/Shaw Air Force Base Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. meets at 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month at the South Sumter Combat Veterans Group Headquarters Building, 529 N. Wise Drive. Call James Munford at (803) 795-2903 or Kenneth Benjamin at (803) 773-8514.
Connected Warriors Inc. offers evidence-based, trauma-aware yoga therapy for military members, veterans, and their families toll-free for participants at 5 p.m. Wednesdays at Shaw Air Force Base for those with base access and 5 p.m. Fridays at Southern Bliss Yoga, 600 Bultman Drive, Number 4. Call Melissa at (803) 468-1658 , email southernblissyoga@yahoo.com or visit www.connectedwarriors.org for more details.
