Ever thought of what it would have been like to be there the day Orangeburg County won the Super Bowl of county and municipal competitions?

How did a team of county residents dexterously put together a masterpiece presentation and win the oldest and most prestigious civic award in existence?

Wonder no longer as the award-winning presentation will be in living color for all to see as “One Team, One Dream” is going to the big screen as the county celebrates its one-year anniversary as an All-America County today.

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds

Three large-projection screens will provide attendees an opportunity to experience the excitement and thrill of the competition and give a better sense of the nature of it, Orangeburg County Administrator Bill Clark said.

“We really felt like this event would be lacking if we did not include the video presentation,” Clark said, noting that he has shown the video to various groups during the past year with the response being favorable. “It (the video) tells the story with pictures better than we can tell it with words.”

The 20-minute video begins from the “One Team, One Dream’s” entrance into the competition room to the question-and-answer session following the core of the presentation.

“Regardless of how many people are in attendance, all should be able get a good view of the presentation,” Clark said.

A limited number DVDs will be available for those interested in having a copy.

The video presentation is just one of the many attractions lined up for the 2- 1/2 hour anniversary event.

Final preparations were in full swing Wednesday afternoon with the 12-member Orangeburg County Activity Pack team placing All-America County banners and U.S. flags and bunting on walls and cattle barn poles.

Table and stage set-up were also in the process for a projected crowd of 2,000.

Shelton Sistrunk, a part of the pack team, said crews have been busy for a little over a week preparing the cattle barn for the event by disinfecting the area from the familiar smell of livestock.

With a day remaining, only a slight odor remains, much to the crew’s satisfaction.

Approximately, 44 exhibitors of the various county organizations and agencies are lined up for the Civic Fair, which will offer attendees an opportunity to learn about local agencies and groups.

“We have been working on this event for a couple of weeks,” Clark said. “We have had an overwhelming response. It will be an extraordinary event.”

“The public has responded well to the designation,” he continued, explaining that the gathering, being in many respects a replica of the Atlanta event, will aim to contain and fuel the county’s momentum of success into the future.

“It has been a very exciting year in terms of achievements and recognition,” he said.

Clark says the county continues to use the All-America County designation to be more competitive in boosting economic development, private/public partnerships and in the planning for the Global Logistics Triangle, a strategic transportation corridor that links I-95, I-26 and U.S. Highway 301.

The county has placed All-America signage at county entry points.

Inquires still flood in from outsiders about the designation and more information about what the county has to offer, Clark said.

The list of industries that has arrived in Orangeburg and activity log of potential prospects reveals the county is moving forward in the economic marketplace, he said.

The Orangeburg County Development Commission and the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce have also actively used the All-America logo in the promotion of the county.

The OCDC has incorporated the logo in its marketing pieces, presentations, press releases, stationery, Web site and business cards.

The OCDC’s plasma-screen display at its headquarters proudly lets visitors to the Garden City know Orangeburg County is an All-America winner.

The chamber has spotlighted the logo in its prime two-year “Quality of Life” magazine, which came out immediately after the county received the award. The logo was also featured on the cover of the Business and Professional guide published by The Times and Democrat in October 2005. The chamber’s visitor’s guide and its Web site also promote the logo. Orangeburg County received the All-America designation almost a year ago, based upon a presentation before National Civic League judges in Atlanta and the strength of three community projects.

The projects recognized include the 1-cent Capital Projects Sales Tax, which is being used to provide infrastructure throughout the county; The Healing Species, a curriculum that uses neglected and abused dogs in crime-prevention seminars; and the county’s Community of Character effort, which seeks to promote positive character traits.

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