Buck A Cup [Archive] - South Carolina's Web Board

ZooFuzz

04-04-2007, 04:00 PM

SCLEOA Changes Fund Raising Endorsement
Change is an interesting element. Some people embrace it and thrive on it while others avoid it all costs. The only constant thing about change is that it always occurs whether we like it or not. Many people have asked why SCLEOA has changed its fund raising focus from Buck a Cup to Special Olympics South Carolina. Making a change after a fifty-four year affiliation can be stressful and naturally generates a lot of questions. Ultimately, our Board of Directors had to ensure that our mission of fund raising was consistent with the organization that we were supporting.

Over the last few years Easter Seals South Carolina has experienced their own changes, both with staffing and mission. More and more Easter Seals began to focus on fee based services such as their Early Intervention program and their support services for school districts. Both of these programs are fee-based programs that provide Medicaid or insurance reimbursements. Less service was provided at Easter Seals locations and more services were provided in client homes and school facilities. The Easter Seals Board of Directors decided to close the Rose M. Lowe Rehabilitation Center and State Headquarters office along with the other affiliate offices around the state.

As SCLEOA became aware of the change in mission for Easter Seals South Carolina, our leadership began to explore how Buck A Cup funds were being utilized. While those funds were still being used to support Easter Seals,they were being used for administrative and overhead costs such as travel and professional to memberships, rather than for direct service. Our Board felt very strongly that the hard work and dedicated fund raising efforts of our members should go exclusively direct service. After several meetings with Easter Seals, SCLEOA representatives realized that Easter Seals could not guarantee that future Buck a Cup funds would be used for the purposes originally intended by SCLEOA – direct client service.

At that point, after careful consideration and due deliberation, the SCLEOA Board decided to affiliate with an organization that could guarantee that the monies raised by our members would go exclusively to direct service. The Board discussed several different organizations. However, Special Olympics immediately came to mind due to the relationships that law enforcement officers and agencies have established already through the Torch Run Program. The SCLEOA Board of Directors unanimously agreed to affiliate with Special Olympics South Carolina.

Special Olympics is a natural fit with SCLEOA. First, there is the strong involvement of the law enforcement community with Torch Run program. Second, Special Olympics’ mission is consistent with SCLEOA’s fund raising mission of serving children and adults with disabilities. And, third, Special Olympics committed to SCLEOA that all the funds raised by our members will go to direct service to support and enhance the programs that are provided to Special Olympics athletes. SCLEOA is looking forward to a long relationship with Special Olympics and we know that our members can make a difference in the lives of the Special Olympics athletes that our funds will help to support.

SCLEOA wishes continued success to Easter Seals as they reorganize and restructure their programs to serve their client base. We are very pleased to know that the over 18 million dollars that SCLEOA raised over the course of the Buck A cup program had a very positive impact on services provided by Easter Seals As SCLEOA, Easter Seals, and Special Olympics go through these series of changes we know that the ultimate goal will not change. All three organizations are committed to providing services to children and adults with disabilities to provide a more positive life experience for all.

Alisa G. Mosley
Executive Director
SCLEOA
P. O. Box 210709
Columbia, SC 29221
Phone: 803-781-5913
Toll Free: 800-922-0038
Fax: 803-781-9208
Mobile: 803-603-9300