The Alliance works in tandem with the Charleston County Medical Society to promote health education, identify and address health care needs and issues in the community, and support health-related charitable endeavors in the lowcountry. In addition, CCMSA strives to advance legislative education and lead legislative advocacy as it relates to the medical arena.
Dear Fellow Member:
I am honored to step into the role of Charleston County Medical Society Alliance President for the 2012-13 year. We have accomplished so much in the past year including a revamped, user-friendly website with secure members-only functionality; a hugely successful Kitchen & Garden Tour, which raised over $29,500 to support free medical clinics in the Charleston area; a highly anticipated and successful annual foster children’s holiday luncheon; and a reinvigoration of our school health fair program. We should all take pride in the difference we have made in the health and well being of our community.
Along with these accomplishments have been a few bumps in the road. Like many volunteer organizations, we are seeing a drop in member involvement. Although we’ve seen phenomenal fundraising in the last year, it was achieved at the hands of a committed few who have worked hard to ensure our success. This year, we are taking a step back to determine how we can offer members the opportunity to volunteer on a more personal level and a smaller scale, enabling all of us to create the greatest impact in our community. We have reevaluated our course. And here is path forward:
In lieu of hosting another large-scale fundraiser, we will take seventy percent ($70) of membership dues and put it directly toward funding grants. These grants provide critical support to Lowcountry organizations that are committed to
empowering the health of our community. By doing this, we hope to take the burden of fundraising off members’ plates, freeing you to engage in more gratifying, grassroots charitable work.
We plan to offer both more hands-on volunteer experiences and more social opportunities. I truly believe that our
camaraderie as an organization is reflective of a collective desire to help others, and by bolstering both we continue the tradition of a close-knit membership that results in positive change. In the next year, the two primary opportunities to volunteer will be in providing much-needed assistance to the Lowcountry Food Bank’s BackPack Buddies or School Pantry programs and attending a health fair at a local school, imparting children and teachers alike with much-needed nutrition and fitness information.
On a social level, there are so many ways to get involved this year! The first is to attend our second annual tennis
tournament. Please mark your calendars and plan to participate in CCMSA’s Raise a Racquet for Childhood Hunger
tournament, which will take place on Friday, September 7th from 9 am – 12 pm at the Daniel Island Park Club Tennis
Pavilion. Proceeds from this event will support the Lowcountry Food Bank’s Kids Café, BackPack Buddies and School Pantry programs. These programs provide much-needed assistance to the thousands of children in our community who are at risk of hunger.
Please turn the page to see our Calendar of Events for this year. I sincerely hope we will fulfill all of your expectations of this organization – on both a philanthropic and social level. I am open to your thoughts, ideas and comments, and look forward to getting to know each and every one of you at future events. Have a wonderful summer and we’ll see you soon!
Warm regards,
Melissa Ohlson
ohlsonmelissa@gmail.com
