Community roundup: E-sports, public safety, nonprofits get spotlight - WRDW-TV

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Here’s a look at some major community news from both sides of the Savannah River.

Aiken will offer a new E-sports program

AIKEN, S.C. – The Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is launching a new E-sports program in partnership with GG Leagues.

Participants can register for season passes and compete in a variety of leagues offered throughout each season.

Games that are supported include: “Madden 21,” “Fortnite,” “Rocket League” and “Super Smash Bros.”

Leagues are available for youths, teens and adults.

Participants will compete from the comfort of their own home, but must own a console or PC as well as the game, and have an internet connection to participate in the leagues.

Season passes are $30 and grant access to all leagues offered for that season.

Birth certificate and proof of residency are required for first-time registrants.

Online registration is available at www.cityofaikensc.gov/etrak or visit the offices inside the score tower of Citizens Park II, 651 Old Airport Road.

For more information about GG Leagues, visit https://app.ggleagues.com/organization/aiken.

Public safety fair scheduled Saturday in Evans

EVANS, Ga. – The Columbia County Emergency Management Agency will host a public safety and preparedness fair on Aug. 28 at Evans Towne Center Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors will be able to get a look inside emergency response vehicles, dive team boats, the fire safety house, hazardous materials trucks and experience the Civil Air Patrol simulator.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office will be offering child identification and will have a K-9 demonstration.

The event will be “a great opportunity for all of us to learn more about protecting our families, ourselves and our property,” said Shawn Granato, director of the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency.

The event will also feature water slides, food trucks and a giant swing.

Live music will starts at 10 a.m. and Whiskey Run will be performing on stage beginning at 1 p.m.

For additional information, email emergencymanagement@columbiacountyga.gov.

Touch-a-Truck for kids to take place in October

AIKEN, S.C. – The Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department will host the 19th annual Touch-a-Truck event on Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The free event is an informal chance for children to climb, sit and explore various vehicles at the Odell Weeks Center soccer field, 1700 Whiskey Road.

For a sensory-friendly experience, visit from 9-10 a.m., when there will be limited sounds and lights.

A variety of vehicles will be available for children to enjoy this year, as well as horses from the Aiken Volunteer Mounted Unit.

Families can enjoy a ride on the trackless train before grabbing a snack or treat from food trucks.

Safe Kids Aiken County will offer car-seat checkups and a distracted driving simulation.

Story time makes a return for children in Aiken

AIKEN, S.C. – Story time, a cherished reading program that promotes literacy in Aiken youths in Aiken, begins its fall season at 4 p.m. Sept. 7.

The program will occur every Tuesday afternoon in September and October. It’s free to attend and is held on the grounds of Rye Patch, 100 Berrie Road.

This season’s stories will highlight the importance of making new friends, being kind, using your imagination, bravery and more.

Parents are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket; snacks and drinks are welcome.

Families will receive a free book at every reading session to build their home library.

Families are encouraged to bring used books from home to help stock the Little Free Library in Hopelands Gardens. The Little Free Library, installed in April 2017, is a free book exchange.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Rye Patch reception center.

Richmond County library system plans special events

AUGUSTA, Ga. – This September, the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System is joining the American Library Association and libraries nationwide for Library Card Sign-up Month.

Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year.

For more information about how to sign up for a library card, call 706-821-2600 or visit any library branch in person or online at https://gapines.org/eg/opac/register.

Here’s some special programming at the libraries throughout the month:

Paint party: Sept. 25 at 11:30 a.m.. Wallace branch
National Wilderness Month presentation: Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. for young adults on Facebook/Instagram
Grandparents Day story time with the children’s department: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. all month, headquarters branch
Scholarship essay-writing workshop: Sept. 30 at 3 p.m., Maxwell branch
“What’s the Fic?” podcast, banned books edition: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube

Augusta parks agency, swim league join forces

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta Parks and Recreation Department and the Aiken-Augusta Swim League have agreed to share resources to expand swimming education and competitions at the Augusta Aquatic Center.

The decision was made during a meeting with leadership from both organizations on Aug. 19, and the Augusta Commission will now have to approve the memorandum of understanding between both entities.

The entities say they’re committed to an annual agreement to facilitate swim competitions, water safety lessons and increase the Augusta Parks and Recreation Department’s aquatic programs.

“Our Department is happy to partner with ASL as it allows both organizations the opportunity to offer an array of activities to give swimmers of all levels a chance to strengthen their physical and intellectual skills in the pool,” said department director Maurice McDowell.

Blood drive planned Monday at Augusta brewery

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Shepeard Community Blood Center will host a blood drive on Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Savanah River Brewery Co., 813 Fifth St.

Each donor will receive a free T-shirt and will be added to a raffle for a six-pack of beer. Donors 21 and over will also receive a voucher for a free pint of beer.

Donors will also receive points in the Shepeard donor store that can be redeemed for gift cards or T-shirts.

Blood centers nationwide are in dire need of blood donations, and Shepeard is no exception. Donations with Shepeard will help patients in the local community receive the lifesaving products they need.

Shepeard supplies blood to University Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Augusta University Health and others.

For more information call 706.737.4551 or log on to www.shepeardblood.org to book an appointment.

Oyster roast to raise money for Child Enrichment

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Child Enrichment and the Exchange Club of Richmond County announce the 2021 Cookin’ for Kids Oyster Roast, presented by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, scheduled for 6-10 p.m. Sept. 25 at Daniel Field Airport.

After a brief hiatus, this year will mark the 30th year of the event, with all proceeds benefiting local child victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment and trafficking who are served by Child Enrichment.

The event will feature all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, non-seafood entrees and sides, and unlimited beer and wine. There will also be live music by The Coveralls, a raffle for an E-Z-GO golf cart (tickets can be purchased online, and winner does not need to be present), and a live auction to include a luxury dove hunt in Argentina.

Tickets are $50 per person and may be purchased through Child Enrichment’s website at www.ChildEnrichment.org, on Eventbrite, or by phone at 706-737-4631. Tickets will also be sold at the gate.

Local United Way aims to raise $2.3 million in campaign

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Although United Way’s in person campaign kickoff event was canceled this year, the organization is still setting an ambitious goal and asking for the community’s support.

Last year, United Way of the CSRA raised nearly $2.2 million to help support 40 programs at 27 nonprofits in the region.

This year, United Way is setting a goal to raise $2.3 million to help meet the continued evolving needs in the community.

United Way continues to tackle the region’s social needs, supporting 40 programs across 27 local nonprofits who help provide tools and resources.

To give, visit www.uwcsra.org or text UWCSRA to 40403. You can also participate in your company’s workplace giving campaign.

New exhibit coming to Morris Museum of Art

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A master of atmosphere, mood, and light, famed Charleston artist Linda Fantuzzo is represented by more than 20 paintings drawn from her most recent body of work in a new exhibit, “Linda Fantuzzo: Penumbra.”

It will be on view at the Morris Museum of Art from Sept. 25 through Dec. 12.

The landscape and interior paintings and drawings in this exhibit are rendered with a quiet, abstracted simplicity. The inclusion of stairs, ladders, windows, and doors suggests an unseen yet palpable human presence. The title Penumbra, a term that means “a space of partial illumination,” references light’s transitions. In these works, Fantuzzo connects the literal transitions of light to the metaphorical transitions and impermanence of the human experience.

A native of Endicott, N.Y., Fantuzzo began painting at age 12 . She studied painting and graphics at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia from 1968 to 1973 before moving to Charleston, where she set up a studio in 1974. She was influenced to do so by fellow graduate student Manning Williams, a native Charlestonian who was already an established artist there, and his wife, journalist Barbara S. Williams.

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