Philanthropy
Landings Landlovers-Enriching the Community We Love
Landings Landlovers’ goal is to improve community life through philanthropic, social and cultural activities. The proceeds from the group’s six major fundraisers are given in grants to worthwhile projects and programs sponsored by on-island organization, scholarships for the Landings Association and The Landings Company employees and their spouses and dependent children to assist with expenses for post-high school education, and community service merit awards for high school seniors.
The Landings has many wonderful groups and organizations that tend to our health and safety, beautify our environment and provide cultural and educational programs for us to enjoy. Landlovers sponsors numerous activities, social events and fundraising projects — and volunteers run all of them! Landlovers members worked hard throughout the past year to raise money.
FUND RAISING TOTALS FOR 2017-2018
Flea Market $38,774
Auctionmania $14,753
Home Renovation showcase $10,633
Development (Sponsorships) $6,200
Games Day & Raffle $2,241
Gourmet Pantry & Note Cards $594
Total $73,195
May 2017 Home tour $12,987
The net proceeds from the May 2018 Garden Tour will be reflected in next year’s fundraising numbers.
LANDINGS LANDLOVERS ANNOUNCES 2018 WINNERS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE MERIT AWARDS, GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
This year, Landlovers is pleased to be able to provide $30,700 in scholarship funds, $81,200 in grants, $11,000 in Community Service Merit Awards, and $2,100 in to our local churches and the Salvation Army for their support during the Flea Market. The total of Landlovers philanthropy for 2017-2018 is $125,000.
Many thanks to all of you who donated your time and talent by chairing, co-chairing, and volunteering to work on our fundraisers throughout the year. It is only with your ongoing efforts and support that Landlovers can succeed. You all contribute to helping Landlovers “Enrich the Community We Love”!
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Landlovers Scholarship Fund is designed to assist Landings employees and their immediate dependent family members with expenses for post-high-school education. Scholarship grants are for tuition, books and school supplies. Applicants must be employees of The Landings Association or The Landings Company, their spouses or their dependent children.
Our returning scholarship recipients include:
Kristin Peney: Kristin is a valued employee of The Landings Association. Since she joined the TLA staff, she has developed numerous interesting, instructional, and fun environmental programs and activities for Landings residents and their families. She is currently working on earning a doctorate degree in Education at the University of South Carolina so that she can enhance her capabilities in her current position and eventually assist other educators in raising their teaching levels. She is a highly-motivated employee, wife, and mother, who has not received a grade lower than an “A” for the past twelve years! Kristin is an asset to our community, and Landlovers proudly supports her efforts.
Hunter McDowell: Hunter is completing his first ear at Mercer University. The first in his family to attend college, his goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Mercer University and be able to follow a path to help everyone within his community. Hunter’s mom is Sabrina McDowell, a 21-year employee of the TLA Community Relations Department.
Katelyn Cook: This is the third year that Katelyn, the daughter of Landings Director of Security Tim Cook, has received a Landlovers Scholarship. In the Fall, she will enter her junior year at Georgia Southern University – Armstrong Campus and is maintaining a 3.6 GPA. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, is on the Panhellenic Executive Board, and belongs to the Pre-Med Association and Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. Her goal is to finish undergraduate school with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and then to attend medical school to become an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with her own practice.
First-time recipients are:
Jamaya Cammon will be graduated this month from Sol C. Johnson High School. A loving and caring young woman, she lights up when she talks about her intention to become a Neonatal Registered Nurse. Jamaya is the daughter of Tameca Cammon of the Landings Security Department.
Tori Cook’s lifelong interest in fashion design is directing her toward the acclaimed program for Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. While listing her prospective field of study as “Exploratory,” she is hoping eventually to design her own clothing line along with opening an apparel store. Tori is also the daughter of Security Director Tim Cook.
Lataka Jamal Grant, a 1996 graduate of Johnson High School, is currently working in a local fulfillment house while attending Savannah Tech part-time to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. Planning to work as a paralegal for several years, his long-term goals include completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, which he then intends to use as his entrée to law school. Jamal recently married Community Relations Representative Toni Grant.
Donovan Lewis, who is about to be graduated from Windsor Forest High School where he played varsity basketball for four years and was active in the Distributive Education Club (DECA), was definitely created to be a basketball player. Recruited by several Division I, II, and III colleges, he chose Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, for its terrific technology curriculum. Should his dream to play in the NBA not come to pass, Donovan will be prepared to enter the field of computer technology. Donovan’s mom is Lynn Lewis, Communications Manager of the TLA Communications and Community Outreach Department.
Daniel Talcott has already earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Georgia. He would now like to complete his current program of study at Savannah Technical College in order to attain employment as an electrician within the residential and/or commercial construction industries. When he has gained the requisite work experience, he intends to obtain a Georgia Electrical Contractor Class I license. Daniel is married to Dianne Talcott, a Business Analyst with the TLA’s Finance Department.
GRANT RECIPIENTS
Bethesda Academy
Bethesda Barnbuilders
Boy Scout Troop 57
Bright Eye-deas Low Vision Group
Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)
Landings Military Family Relief Fund
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
SAFE Shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services
Skidaway Audubon/Sustainable Skidaway
Skidaway Farms Children’s Garden
Skidaway Island Div of Chatham Fire Department
Skidaway Island First Responders
Skidaway Audubon/Diamondback Terrapin Rescue Project
Sparrow Field Pollinator Garden
The Landings Association (Security)
The Village Library
Toys for Tots
COMMUNITY SERVICE MERIT AWARDS
The Community Service Merit Awards recognize high school seniors who are residents of The Landings and have excelled in contributing their time and talent through community service. Commitment, creativity, leadership and total time dedicated determine the winners of this award. This year’s recipients are:
Andrew Royek is not only a straight-A student who ranks first in his class at Savannah Arts Academy, he is an athlete, musician, performer, and a member of three honor societies. However, he says that “many of his most fulfilling experiences thus far in life have come from volunteerism and community service.” He is a math and science tutor and a member of the Ronald McDonald House Teen Board. He and his sister, Amanda (a previous Merit Award winner), both diagnosed with scoliosis early in life, started a charity Society for the Advancement of Scoliosis Research (SASR), which holds annual benefit concerts with performances by talented high school musicians and artists. To date, they have raised over $10,000 for scoliosis research. In addition, Andrew is a competitive swimmer and volunteer swim instructor at the Chatham County Aquatic Center. He established Friends Introducing Swimming and Healthy Habits or FISHH to instruct inner-city youth how to swim and has organized two swimathons to help fund the program and needed equipment. While Andrew’s future college is still undecided, he is intending to major in Economics/Business. Andrew is awarded a Community Service High Merit Award.
Lilyanne Glass says that her volunteer work has taught her “the power of love and giving.” Lily, an honors student at Savannah Country Day School, is a volleyball and soccer player, a student ambassador, and an author for the school newspaper. However, it is her community service work that makes her happiest, so much so that, within the past year, she spent over 265 hours volunteering with SCDS lower-school tutoring, Cooking for a Cause, Hearty Snacks, and the Special Olympics. In addition, she created UTime, a service that gathers volunteer teens to play with special needs children while giving their caretakers some “you time” because watching their children is a 24/7 job. Lily intends to major in Business Management in preparation for a career heading up a community service organization. She is awarded a Community Service High Merit Award.
Zoya Rehman has dedicated her free time to serving the community in a variety of ways. A varsity cheerleader and swimmer, Little Hornet Cheer Camp counselor, Memorial Hospital Teens Hope Club volunteer, Horizons Academy Club tutor, and Savannah Country Day School Student Ambassador, Zoe also traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week to teach English classes to kids. In addition, she organized a water bottle drive at SCDS to help victims of the 2016 Louisiana flooding, collecting almost 20,000 bottles. Her dedication to Horizons led to her winning the “Hands on Savannah” Volunteer of the Year Award. Zoe will continue her studies in the field of Medicine/Nursing.
Morgan Meyer is a Savannah Country Day School student scholar who is involved in a high school book club, spin teacher training, and babysitting, and says that because of her community service commitment to Savannah’s inner-city children, she has “fallen in love with helping to develop children’s knowledge” and has decided to turn it into her career. She volunteers for Hearty Snacks, providing dinner to children who may not have one at home; Wesley Community Care Daycare, playing with the children while also reviewing concepts taught that day; and Horizons Organization of Savannah, where she is involved during the school year and the 6-week summer camp. Continuing her work with young people, Morgan intends to focus her college studies on History and Education.