Just because some of South Carolina’s flood-ravaged roads and bridges have been re-opened and repairs to homes and businesses are in progress does not mean that little remains to be done. A group of University of South Carolina students tackled one unmet need at Columbia’s Gills Creek the weekend prior to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
"This flood was a particularly large reminder of how connected we are. This waterway, Gills Creek, is a good metaphor for that because it crosses Assembly Street right through our campus and then before you know it's right here at Fort Jackson." -USC President Harris Pastides
The Gills Creek area was the site of some of the Midlands’ most severe flooding. The watershed is included in the cities of Columbia, Cayce, Forest Acres, and Arcadia Lakes; Richland County, and the US Army's Fort Jackson. More than 600 USC students decided to help clean up flood debris from the creek banks and surrounding area. Over the course of two weekends, the students, joined by USC President Harris Pastides, helped to clean up areas near Fort Jackson Boulevard off Garner's Ferry Road. In this week’s South Carolina Focus, the students talk about their motivations for helping out, and their plans to return to do more work soon.
Tamaragail Tarrant says that her motivation is to help keep the area beautiful and she hopes that students will carry on the project long after she leaves the University of South Carolina. Many students do, in fact, get involved in a variety of service projects, and President Pastides tries to play a small role each year as a partner in a charitable event. Pastides actually saw Martin Luther King Jr. speak at Madison Square Garden as a boy and it was an experience that has spurred him to keep the Civil Rights leader's spirit present as he helps others.
Other organizations working to clean up and beautify the area include:
More information about Disaster and Flood Recovery can be found at SCEMD.org
