Community news for Aug. 13

Meet Heidi Cruz at Aug. 17 coffee social

The Clover-Lake Wylie Republican Women will hold a meet-and-greet coffee with Heidi Cruz, wife of Texas Republican Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Ted Cruz, at 11 a.m. Aug. 17 .at the River Hills Marina Club. The event is free and open to the public.

A long-time Republican, Heidi Cruz worked as a policy aide on George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, then later worked for the Bush administration as economic director for the Western Hemisphere with the National Security Council and Condoleezza Rice.

A Harvard Business School graduate, she joined investment firm Goldman Sachs in 2005 as a managing director running the Houston wealth management unit. She will be on unpaid leave of absence during her husband's presidential campaign. The couple has two daughters and live in Houston.

For more information, call 803-831-0689.

Tri-Cities group plans Hopewell Day

The Tri-Cities Community Club is gearing up for the 98th Annual Hopewell Day Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the old Hopewell Schoolhouse off S.C. 97 near Hickory Grove.

The beef hash will be available at the Hopewell School building at 8:30 a.m. and the singing will begin at 10 a.m. The Riverside Boys from Lockhart and the Hamptons from Blacksburg will be featured groups. There will also be plenty of congregational singing.

The day was originally set aside to celebrate the laying of the crops by the farmers, and the festivities started on a small scale. Joe Humphries of Gaffney started a singing school in the Hopewell community. At the end of the singing school, participants would get together with the farmers for a day of singing and a picnic. The singing school was held in the original wooden schoolhouse that burned in 1923.

The year of the fire, the singing was held under the majestic oak trees. It was about this time that the cooking of the famous Hopewell hash began. Men from the area would gather and butcher a cow. They would then stay up all night before the singing and prepare the hash.

Not long after the fire, the present brick building was completed and the Hopewell Singing moved inside. Hopewell Day has been held every year since 1917, except for a couple of years during World War II. For the last 42 years the Tri-Cities group and other western York County residents have sponsored the tradition.

For information, contact Chris Revels at 803-925-2840 or Dale Mitchell at 803-628-0926

Lions post sight screen schedule

The River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club recently released its September schedule for free eye screen testing for children.

The screening program, Lions Kidsight USA, uses a state-of-the-art Welch Allyn camera capable of checking for six potential eye problems.

Parental consent is required for testing. If a referral is recommended for a child, printed documentation the results will be sent to the facility.

▪ 5-7 p.m. Aug. 14, Clover High back-to-school kickoff

▪ Sept. 8 Head Start daycare, York.

▪ Sept. 9 Head Start daycare, Clover.

For more information about the program, call 803-230-1449 or email Rhlwkidsight@gmail.com.

Bratton family plans reunion

Descendants of Robert McCaw Bratton and Lucinda Alexander Bratton will have their annual Bratton reunion Aug. 16 at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church in Hickory Grove.

They will eat at 1 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. Each family is asked bring covered dishes and drinks. Details: Beth Dover, 803-684-7135.

Therapeutic center seeks volunteers

RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center in Clover welcomes new volunteers.

No experience necessary; training is provided.

The center helps families of children and adults with special needs build and improve strength, balance, core stability, focus and attention and increase confidence and self-esteem with facilitative interaction with horses and riding. RideAbility also serves veterans with its Equine Services of Heroes Program.

Those interested in the 2015 fall program for children and adults with special needs, the Equine Services for Heroes or the riding program can email rideabilitysc@gmail.com. Space is limited.

Sponsors, including individuals, churches or clubs, are also needed to provide financial support for children and adult riders and veterans.

Animal shelter needs volunteers

The nonprofit Friends of the York County Animal Shelter needs volunteers to help bathe, groom, exercise, socialize, train and provide adoption information for the animals, as well as assist in follow-ups, publicity, marketing and fulfilling other jobs at the shelter.

Time and mileage may be tax-deductible. Volunteers must be 18 or older; orientation and training are required. Details: 803-818-6485 or go to the shelter at 713 Justice Blvd. in York.

4-H compiling alumni directory

4-H Youth Development, a part of Clemson Extension Service in York County, is compiling a directory of 4-H alumni in hopes of building up the alumni community in York County. Email Faith Isreal at fisreal@clemson.edu, Ashley McCarter at asmccar@clemson.edu or call 803-684-9919.

Lions offer veterans program

The River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club will offer a new program, “Involve a U.S. Veteran,” which waives the club’s traditional $40 fee for retired or honorably discharged personnel from the U.S. military.

For membership information, call 803-831-0911.

PATH needs drivers to pick up food

People Attempting to Help in York, a basic needs and food assistance agency, needs volunteer drivers.

The agency needs teams of two people to drive to the Second Harvest food bank in Charlotte one Friday a month to shop for groceries for the food pantry.

PATH is at 204 Raille St. in York. Details: 803-684-3992.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Community news for Aug. 13."