Pickens, Easley Raise Nearly $30,000 for Pickens County Meals on Wheels

The 6th Annual Meals on Wheels- Sam Wyche Food Fight Bowl was a night to remember, and will be one that students and fans will reminisce about for years to come. Weather delays could not dampen the crowd’s excitement as the teams faced off for their first rival game at Easley High’s new stadium.

Save-A-Lot, presenting sponsor, kicked off the event as Scott Masters (Pickens Store Manager), Brooke Masters (Easley Senior) and Charlene Juarez (Save-A-Lot cashier) presented a $5,000 check to Pickens County Meals on Wheels. Dwayne Goodwin, President and CEO of the Goodwin Holdings Group, is committed to giving back to the communities in which he operates, offering quality foods and customer savings to both Pickens and Easley shoppers.

The storms that had delayed the start of the game until 9:20 p.m. continued to loom in the night sky, but it did not affect the players’ determination as they took to the field to compete for the “Food Fight” trophy. Easley dominated in the first half, and never wavered, even through the power outage seven minutes into the second quarter.

A shortened half-time and wet conditions did not allow for the traditional half-time Grasshopper lawn mower race. Instead, cheerleaders and members of the student bodies gathered at the 50-yard line, waiting to see who would take home this year’s “Ultimate Food Fight” trophy. Meta Bowers, Executive Director, presented the trophy to Pickens High School for another outstanding job.

Pickens now holds a 5-0-1 record off the field, raising a total of $18,626 this year. Combined, both schools raised $29,671 for Meals on Wheels. To date the students of Easley and Pickens have raised a total of $156,604, the equivalent of 31,321 meals.

"It's been a pleasure working to raise money for such a worthy cause. It is an amazing feeling knowing that our school has helped so many seniors in the community with the food fight bowl. I cannot take all the credit; the PHS student council has been very diligent raising money for this charity, and they all have worked so hard this summer," said Brooke Stewart PHS student body president.

In its 6th year, “The Food Fight Bowl” has become an event that reminds us about the important role Meals on Wheels, and its team of caring volunteers, plays in the communities across Pickens County.

Many thanks to this year’s sponsors:

Save-A-lot, McKinney Dodge, South Carolina Bank and Trust, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler and the Fee family, Pickens Railroad, Easley Rotary Club, Gwinn’s Tire and Alignment, St. Jude Medical, Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church

AND

Pickens and Easley High Staff, Students, Alumni and Fans!

“EHS is proud to support Pickens County Meals on Wheels. We believe the work they do is wonderful. While we may not have won the fundraising portion of this event, our Student Council does plan to support the organization through volunteering and in other ways,” says Tracy Todd, Student Council Advisor.

Easley and Pickens have maintained a fierce rivalry since 1923, when Easley won the very first meeting by a score of 7-6. The “Food Fight Bowl” trophy was designed to inspire each team to have a special reward in a game. The top of the trophy was taken off Coach Sam Wyche’s 1988 NFL Coach of the Year trophy and placed on a new base, becoming rotating Meals on Wheels Food Fight Bowl trophy. The prestigious “Timmy Award” was given to Coach Wyche, by the Washington Touchdown Club for his Cincinnati Bengals' 14 game winning season and representing the AFC in Super Bowl XXIII vs. the San Francisco 49ers.

It was after midnight, when the Green Wave team triumphantly raised the “Food Fight” trophy after winning with a final score of 30-14.
Easley Head coach Grayson Howell has secured his first rival victory win, and Pickens and Easley are now tied 3-3 on the field.

“Our clients are also big winners tonight. We continue to see an increase in need for service,” says Meta Bowers, Executive Director, “All monies raised stay right here in our local community and will be used to purchase and deliver meals to shut-ins across all of Pickens County. This is our largest fundraiser, and it is Exciting to see the students rally for our seniors.”

Pickens County Meals on Wheels is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, charitable organization funded completely through grants and donations from individuals, churches, church organizations, businesses, civic groups, and the United Way, who does not seek or receive any state or federal funding. The organization relies entirely on the generosity of the community we serve, including people like you.

Thank you for supporting your favorite team and Pickens County seniors through your financial contributions. Donations keep our wheels rolling all year long. To make a donation, visit www.pcmow.org, or mail checks to Pickens County Meals on Wheels P.O. Box 184 Easley, SC 29641. Please call, Meta Bowers at 855-3770 ext. 303 to find out how you can get involved.