The Community Times Dispatch

The Walterboro offices of South Carolina Bank and Trust have good reason to be proud today. Employees, customers and friends banded together to raise more money than any other SCBT city in the state for the statewide Souper Bowl of Caring project.

Not only do they get bragging rights, but the Walterboro Robertson Boulevard office also gets an additional $2,500 from the bank to distribute to its chosen charities. Not far behind was the Walterboro Jefferies Boulevard office that came in third place statewide.

“We want to thank all of our friends and customers for their great generosity,” said Lee Petrolawicz, senior vice president and area executive for SCBT. ” This is a wonderful charitable effort. We are pleased and proud to be able to distribute this money to our local charities.”

The Walterboro Robertson Boulevard office raised $4,902.69 and signed up seven new community groups to help raise funds. The Walterboro Jefferies office raised $4810. 26. Because of their efforts, SCBT is contributing an additional $2,500 for Walterboro to distribute to its charities.

For the four-year period, SCBT has raised $47,358.81 for charities in the Walterboro area.

Walterboro’s efforts were only part of the SCBT partnership with the Souper Bowl of Caring to raise money for needy and hungry people across South Carolina. SCBT was a pioneer in partnering with the Souper Bowl of Caring to raise awareness and funds through collections at each of the branches and internal departments. The project also encouraged employees to spread the word in their communities and to recruit others to get involved.

The SCBT Walterboro offices have chosen to donate their funds, plus the $2,500 the Robertson Boulevard office won, to Bethel United Methodist, Walterboro, Edgewood Baptist, Green Pond Baptist Great Swamp Baptist, Heavenly Baptist, Welch Creek Baptist, Mt. Carmel United Methodist, Tabor United Methodist, Bethlehem Missionary Baptist, Springtown United Methodist, Bethel United Methodist Ruffin, Ebenezer United Methodist, Harleyville Southern Methodist, Shiloh Baptist and Doctors Creek Baptist Church. Each of the chosen recipient groups host food banks or persons of need. The charities will use the donated money to help fund their respective food banks.

The Souper Bowl of Caring was founded in 1990 by the youth group at a Columbia, SC church, to help hungry people across South Carolina. The original vision was to see Super Bowl Sunday transformed from its emphasis on professional football into a day of giving and serving. The concept-which challenged some of the 140 million people who watch the Super Bowl to give just $1 to help people in need in their area- has raised more than $60 million for charity. Four years ago, the Souper Bowl of Caring partnered with SCBT in a move to include businesses around the state. The program was so successful, they decided to continue their partnership.

“What makes the Souper Bowl of Caring a good Fit for SCBT is that funds raised are donated to charities in the local communities,” said Robert R. Hill, Jr., CEO of SCBT. “This way, 100 percent o the funds stay in the communities in which they were raised.”

“I am so proud of our employees,” Hill added. “Their efforts have raised a bank-wide total of $43,736.30 for local charities in 2009 and $161,794.51 since their partnership began.”

SCBT Financial Corporation, Columbia, South Carolina is a registered bank holding company incorporated under the laws of South Carolina. The Company consists of SCBT, N.A., the third largest bank headquartered in South Carolina and NCBT, a Division of SCBT, N.A. Providing financial services or nearly 75 years, SCBT Financial Corporation operates 50 financial centers in 16 South Carolina counties and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. SCBT Financial Corporation has assets of approximately $2.8 billion and its stock is traded under the symbol SCBT in the NASDAQ Global Select Market. More information can be found at www.SCBT online.com.