Habitat For Humanity Teams With Juneteenth GVL
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County and Juneteenth GVL will come together to build a home in the Nicholtown community this spring.
The first-of-its-kind union will begin with a celebration at 6 p.m. May 21 at the Phillis Wheatley Center, where community leaders, volunteers and sponsors will launch the project, said Joseph Fields, Vice President of Equity for Habitat Greenville.
“The evening will feature inspiring speakers, local performances, and a powerful discussion on the importance of affordable housing in historically significant communities,” Fields said.
Habitat Greenville will lead the Wall Raising Ceremony on June 11 in Nicholtown. Volunteers will gather to build the frame of the future home. For information about supporting the Juneteenth Community Build, go to habitatgreenville.org/juneteenthcommunitybuild.
The Juneteenth Community Build is part of Habitat Greenville’s Bridge Building Series, projects that bring together people from diverse backgrounds to support affordable housing.
The initiative aligns with Juneteenth GVL’s mission to celebrate freedom, empower the community, and create sustainable opportunities for economic advancement, said Rueben Hays, founder and Chair of Juneteenth GVL.
“This partnership represents more than just constructing a home – it’s about building a stronger, more equitable future,” Hays said. “We are proud to join forces with Habitat Greenville to ensure homeownership becomes a reality for more families in historically significant neighborhoods.”
As part of the Juneteenth Community Build, Hays will make a $10,000 donation. Best Rest and First Baptist Church Greenville will also contribute.
The initiative is part of Habitat Greenville’s Advancing Black Homeownership Project, launched in 2023 to help develop a racial-equity lending strategy and property acquisition programs. The project is supported by a grant from Habitat for Humanity International.
Fields said Greenville will be the first Habitat affiliate in America to launch a Juneteenth Build.
Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” saw her childhood home burned down in 1939. Habitat for Humanity in Fort Worth, Texas, built her a new home on the site last year.
“Habitat Greenville invites businesses, organizations and individuals to be part of this initiative by contributing financially or volunteering on-site,” said LaTonya Phillips, President and CEO of Habitat Greenville. “This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact, foster diversity, and support sustainable homeownership in underserved communities.”
Members of the Juneteenth Community Build steering committee are Renee Floyd, Matt Rollins, Heather Montgomery, Steve Worrell, Bitsy Cazel, Jasmine Frater, April Evans, Noel Brooks, Jamie Johnson, Tiffany Santagati, Tina Belge, Rueben Hays, Torah Fields, Tiffanee Davis, Charles Davis, Gail Peay, Chris Edwards and Jennifer Faner.
Juneteenth GVL provides to year-round cultural programming, education and community engagement. For information, go to juneteenthgvl.org.
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County opened its doors in 1985 to bring families, community partners and volunteers together to construct affordable, energy-efficient homes. Habitat Greenville has completed more than 420 homes. For information, go to habitatgreenville.org.
Barbara Stone Foundation Presents Leadership Award
The Barbara Stone Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting and creating initiatives for individuals with disabilities, has presented Sandy Halkett with the 2025 Barbara Stone Community Leadership Award.
The award was created in 2022 to honor a leader with the same commitment and spirit as the late Barbara Stone.
Halkett is the driving force behind Adaptive Pickleball, a nonprofit she started in 2020 to serve athletes with disabilities, veterans and individuals with physical impairments. Three years later, she started the HOT SHOTS Special Olympics Pickleball Team, part of the Special Olympics South Carolina program that includes Greenville.
Halkett is an LPGA Class A Professional, certified Adaptive Golf Instructor, and the golf coach for Special Olympics in Greenville since 2000.
“Coach Sandy has poured her heart into making sports accessible for all,” said Lara Ceisel, Executive Director of the Barbara Stone Foundation.
“Many people in Greenville have experienced firsthand her warmth, leadership and dedication. She welcomes every athlete with open arms, adapts to their individual needs, and leads by example – often the first to show up, the first to unload wheelchairs and nets, and the last to leave.”
Along with the award, Halkett received a $500 donation from the Barbara Stone Foundation for Adaptive Pickleball.
Adaptive Pickleball is inclusive recreation that offers therapy, joy, self-confidence and enhanced quality of life.
To nominate a leader for the 2026 Barbara Stone Community Leadership Award, go to barbarastonefoundation.org. For questions, contact Executive Director Lara Ceisel at lara@barbarastonefoundation.org.
Since 1991, the Barbara Stone Foundation’s focus has been to influence community systems, policies and culture to create equitable opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the
Countybank Adds To Team, SBA Lending, Simpsonville
Countybank has named Neal Kyber as the Business Development Officer, part of the SBA Lending Team in Simpsonville.
Kyber, who has 34 years of business banking experience, will focus on small business lending, business acquisitions and expansions, commercial real estate purchases, leasehold improvements, and working capital for business owners.
“Neal has a passion for empowering entrepreneurs to achieve their goals,” said Christopher A. Jackson, Senior Vice President and SBA Division Manager. “He has extensive knowledge in commercial lending, credit structuring and financial analysis that can help small businesses thrive.”
Kyber can help small business owners and entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of federal SBA lending programs, Jackson said.
Kyber lives in the Five Forks area of Simpsonville. He will work in Countybank’s office at 309 S.E. Main St. in Simpsonville. He will serve clients throughout the Upstate.
Local Brokers Honored With Masters Circle Designation
Marchant Bateman & Co., a Greenville affiliate of the luxury real estate network Christie’s International Real Estate, has announced that brokers Tom Marchant and Kendall Bateman have been named to the Christie’s International Real Estate 2025 Masters Circle.
The designation, introduced in 2019, is awarded annually to top-performing agents in the Christie’s network. Individuals are nominated by their brokerages, based on annual luxury sales, high-end transactions and listings, and professionalism.
Marchant and Bateman are lifelong residents of Greenville.
“Being part of the Masters Circle reflects our team’s commitment to excellence in luxury real estate,” Marchant said. “We take pride in being part of a community that values innovation and upscale living.”
Marchant and Bateman participated in the Biltmore Walk project.
Biltmore Walk in Greenville is developed with Keene Development Group, MHK Architecture, FORD Interior Design and Knight Strategies. It is comprised of 44 upscale residences and draws inspiration from New York City’s Gramercy Park.
“We’re introducing a new level of luxury and craftsmanship to Greenville with Biltmore Walk,” Bateman said. “This project is about crafting a lifestyle that reflects the best of Greenville’s charm.”
Christie’s International Real Estate has marketed high-value property worldwide for more than 30 years. Its invitation-only affiliate network spans 50 countries.
Marchant Bateman & Co. specializes in luxury homes and properties in Greenville. Marchant and Bateman lead the brokerage.
Keene Development Group is a privately owned real estate development company.
Mast Store Greenville Rallies Support For Humane Society
Through April 30, the Greenville Mast General Store will support the Greenville Humane Society. Mast Store guests can participate by rounding up any in-store purchase to the next dollar.
Mast Store’s Round UP 4 a Cause campaigns have raised funds for a variety of nonprofit partners. One campaign celebrated Dolly Parton’s birthday, and another raised more than $25,000 for agencies in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
The Mast Store staff collectively chose the Humane Society for the April campaign to acknowledge the agency’s work in the community.
The Greenville Humane Society arranges adoptions and preventative services like vaccinations and spaying/neutering to make pet care more affordable.
For information about the Greenville Humane Society, go to greenvillehumane.com.
Mast General Store has 11 locations in 10 towns across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The stores sell everything from old-fashioned candies to technical outdoor gear. The company is family- and employee-owned.
Sweets For Loaves & Fishes
The Greenville Mast General Store “Sweetheart” campaign has raised funds for 22 years to provide healthy meals for neighbors. This year’s fundraiser supported Loaves & Fishes.
In parts of the Upstate, one in eight people lack access to enough food. Needs are greater after Hurricane Helene last fall.
On the days around Valentine’s Day, Mast Store donated $1 for each pound of bulk candy purchased. One dollar helps Loaves & Fishes provide up to $19 in food value to clients by rescuing items that would otherwise be wasted.
“Community outreach is a core value in our Mast General Store work family,” said Lisa Cooper, President of Mast Store.
Mountain Strong
After Hurricane Helene, the Mast General Store began selling Mountain Strong shirts and stickers to support organizations helping the region recover.
MountainTrue – dedicated to championing resilient forests, clean waters and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains – has received $25,000 from the fundraising efforts.
The total Mountain Strong investment is $110,000, including gifts to BeLoved Asheville ($20,000), Asheville Chamber for Small Businesses ($20,000), River Arts District Foundation ($20,000), and Boone Area Chamber Small Business Grants ($25,000).
“We are humbled by the response to our Mountain Strong merchandise,” said Mast Store President Lisa Cooper. “The design is inspiring, and it is something people are proud to wear.”
Recovering from the storm will take years, she said. “It is going to be a group effort, and that group will need to include many folks who don’t live here in the mountains but love them and want to help.”
For information about MountainTrue and volunteer opportunities, go to MountainTrue.org/event. Mountain Strong apparel and stickers are still available.
In Honor Of Dolly
In honor of Dolly Parton’s 79th birthday in January, Mast General Store celebrated by collecting donations for the South Carolina Children’s Theatre.
Mast Store contributes to organizations that provide for people, conservation and preservation, and the arts.
In late January, the Mast stores asked customers to round up their purchases to the next dollar to support the Children’s Theatre in honor of Dolly Parton.
Simpsonville Arts Foundation Hosts Spring into Art May 3
The Simpsonville Arts Foundation, SAFi, will host its second annual Spring into Art Festival on May 3 at Burdette Central in downtown Simpsonville.
The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers artists an opportunity to display their work, hold demonstrations and provide interactive activities for children. The event will include a live 3D chalk art drawing by Susan Hodges, a silent auction, and music from Sweet and Lo Entertainment.
SAFi is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing the arts to Simpsonville and neighboring communities. Its goal is to promote Simpsonville as an Arts City.
Proceeds from the festival will promote visual and performing arts in the communities. Sponsors are Dogwood State Bank, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Streamside Timbers and Christine Ortiz State Farm Agency.
Derby Party, Bourbon Tasting Raises Funds For Sick Children
The Medicinal Whiskey Charity Kentucky Derby Party, to benefit Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Bi-Lo Charities Children’s Cancer Center, will take place at 5:30 p.m. May 3 at Revel Event Center, 304 E. Stone Ave., in Greenville.
Local bourbon enthusiasts founded Medicinal Whiskey Charity to help fight childhood illness.
Those who attend the party, presented by Foster Victor Wealth Advisors and Bardstown Bourbon Co., will watch the Kentucky Derby, hear live music by The 502’s, and taste bourbon. Food will be provided.
All proceeds will go toward the fight against childhood cancer and blood disorders through Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Bi-Lo Charities Children’s Cancer Center.
For tickets, sponsorships or information, go to onecau.se/mwcderby. For information about Medicinal Whiskey Charity, go to medicinalwhiskeycharity.org.
Simpsonville Chamber Hosts Annual Golf Tournament
The Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual golf tournament, presented by Laurens Electric Cooperative Inc., on April 14 at Fox Run Country Club.
The tournament allows businesses to showcase their products and services and players and sponsors to network. Golfers are invited to dinner, drinks and the presentation of prizes after the tournament.
The day will begin at noon with lunch and registration, and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The tournament will follow the Captain’s Choice format. Representatives from local businesses will be at the holes with games and cold beverages.
Teams typically finish by 5 p.m.
Fox Run Country Club is located at 215 Club Drive in Simpsonville. Team registration is $600; individual registration is $150. Volunteers are needed. For information, call Whitney Ferguson at (864) 963-3781 or go to simpsonvillechamber.com/ and click on the Calendar.
All New CATS Takes Stage At Flat Rock
“A New Era of Enchantment: An All-New Production of Cats Set to Captivate Audiences” will be performed from April 25 to May 17 at the Flat Rock Playhouse.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic CATS is one of the biggest hits in theater history. The all-new production promises to delight longtime fans and newcomers, according to a press release from the theater.
Based on T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” the production reimagines the beloved story, music and choreography.
“We were invited by the owners of the musical to produce a new version of CATS, and we were thrilled to accept the challenge,” said Director Lisa K. Bryant. “Whether you’re a loyal fan or brand new to the musical, prepare to be mesmerized by the Jellicle cats as they sing, dance and share their unique stories.”
For tickets, the schedule and information, call the Flat Rock Playhouse box office at (828) 693-0731 or go to flatrockplayhouse.org.
The Flat Rock Playhouse Leiman Mainstage is located at 2661 Greenville Hwy. in Flat Rock. The playhouse has a year-long season including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and performances for young audiences. It recruits professional performers via the Actors Equity Association, professional artisans and designers while providing education and mentoring in the arts.
April Well Walkers
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena will offer their Well Walkers program April 10, April 15, April 17, April 22, April 24 and April 29.
On those dates, the arena concourse will be open to walkers from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each loop around the concourse is a quarter-mile. Well Walkers is a free event, and no registration is required. Free parking for Well Walkers participants is provided in the VIP lot at the arena, off Church Street.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag