Southport Magazine

Chili Cup Trophy”. The Boy Scouts won the People’s Choice Award Plaque and Southport Smokehouse took out the restaurant division. The WWAY reporters make the perfect judges, tasting and reporting all the scrumptious results as the action unfolds.

This year the group anticipates more entries, yummier chili and even bigger prizes. The bake sale includes home made pies, cakes, and plenty of mouth-watering sweets for the discerning sweet-tooth. Each year local businesses donate gift certificates, merchandise, jewelry, loaded baskets and lots of other fun goodies for the raffle and silent auction.

All this chili is delicious, but the funds raised on the day is the true icing on the cake. The Apple Project puts iPads in the EC (exception children’s) classrooms in Brunswick County. Some of these kids don’t learn in the conventional way, some are even non-verbal and are unable to communicate. The teachers expressed a need, and the Civitans stepped up, making it their goal for every room!

These iPads are a tremendous learning tool that the children can use, learn and even communicate with special apps installed. The learning tools feel like games, so it makes learning basic skills like reading and math, fun and easy.

So far the Civitans have put 40 iPads in the classrooms, with another 60 to go. Brunswick County schools are a powerful partner in the project and are dedicated to keeping the iPads within each EC classroom. Where there is currently no additional funds available for these classrooms, this is a vital project for these teachers.

Flagship member, Jonathan Peele said, “We know how important this project is to the children, it’s beneficial to the teachers and the more people realize that, we can gain more and more support.” It sure would be great to raise enough this year the 60 iPads needed.

The SE Brunswick Civitan group sponsors this growing fundraiser each year, with all the proceeds of the Chili Cook Off going directly back to the local community and the Apple Project. The group focusses their funds all year on kids with special needs, the Boys & Girls Club at Lake Waccamaw, Special Olympics Spring Games, Duke Children’s Hospital and Children’s Brain Cancer Research Programs.

If you would like to sponsor, donate or volunteer, please give Jonathan Peele a call. It’s not too late to enter too if you are a lo- cal restaurant or hero! Call 910-454-0707 or email: jonathan@coastlineinsurance.com.