DATE: 3/15/06

CONTACT: Dr. Sharon Williams, (803) 348-1368; sharonw@clemson.edu

WRITER: Pamela Bryant, (803) 553-7705; pbryant@clemson.edu

Benefit for Clemson University after-school programs

SUMTER – The Lemira Elementary School Percussion Ensemble will perform live at Patriot Hall in Sumter on Friday, Mar. 31 at 7 p.m. , with plans to donate proceeds from the event to a Clemson after-school program that operates at the school.

emira Elementary School is one of four schools in Sumter County where Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI) operates the Mobile Magnet After-school Program. Mobile Magnet is a 21 st Century Learning Center grant program, funded by the S.C. Department of Education.  

This year marks the second charity performance the nationally recognized Lemira Percussion Ensemble has conducted in support of the Mobile Magnet After-school Program. Now in its third year of operation, Mobile Magnet has one year of grant funds remaining from the four-year grant. The program receives some support from private and public sponsors throughout Sumter County and the state, but program coordinator Sharon Williams says now is the time to secure funds to sustain the program for the long term.

  “After school programs play a vital role in increasing academic attainment and socialization skills, and decreasing delinquency,” she said. “Where these services are not available, the costs of intervention services are staggering. Now is the time to help, before one more after-school program disappears."  

The Lemira Percussion Ensemble was founded in 1999. The group, made up of first through fifth grade students, has performed at a variety of locations in Sumter as well as the State Board of Education, the Governor's Conference on Children and Youth, the South Carolina Education Association, and at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. The Lemira Percussion Ensemble has been designated as winner for the state of South Carolina in the Oscar Mayer School House Jam Talent Search. Each school year, the percussion ensemble invests over 600 hours in rehearsing, traveling, and performing. Leila Long and Stephen Winn are directors of the ensemble.  

“We continue to be grateful for the benefits of the Mobile Magnet After-School program at Lemira. The Lemira Percussion Ensemble is delighted to be involved with the event at Patriot Hall,” said Winn.  

The Mobile Magnet After-school program serves Lemira and Crosswell Elementary Schools in Sumter County School District 17 and Furman and Mayewood Middle Schools in District Two. The program operates 10 hours per week at each school, providing students with safe, nurturing atmospheres where experiential education is reinforced. Students receive direct instruction, homework assistance, opportunities for cultural and social enrichment through field trips, exercise and nutritional snacks.

For information about the Mobile Magnet After-school Program, contact Sharon Williams at (803)348-1368 or sharonw@clemson.edu.

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