Do you have a favorite church, funeral home, day care or barbershop?

The Vance nonprofit organization Midlands Enterprises is asking everyone to cast their vote at midlandsent.org as part of a fund-raising event to help youths stay on the right path.

The winning businesses will be recognized at the inaugural Community Award Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Cornerstone Community Church on Chestnut Street. Tickets are $10, and money raised at the event will be used to set up and sustain an at-risk youth and teen program.

"We want to concentrate on troubled teens," said Stacy Dukes, founder of Midlands Enterprises. "There is a lot of gang violence, teen pregnancy. We want to help them out with their self-esteem and do awareness programs. We want to teach these young people etiquette."

Sponsors include Orangeburg attorney Lawrence Keitt, Johnson and Williams law offices, Kemp's Carpet and May's Driving School.

"You will see the results in our community," he said. "We see a lot of them, but we don't see the actual progress they are doing."

Voting ends July 1. Categories include favorite church, choir, quartet, barbershop, beauty salon, funeral home, nursing home and day care in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties. There will be one winner in each category, and groups must be present to win.

"We have over 100 votes so far," he said. "We encourage everyone participate in the voting process. It is the community helping the business and business helping the community."

Dukes admitted that the categories are a bit unusual.

"We want to honor the working people and the ordinary people in our area," he said. "Each one of these categories, they play a certain role in our lives, a key role."

The event is one of several fund-raising opportunities Midlands Enterprises has in the works. Dukes said there are plans for a school drive, a food drive and a toy drive.

For more information on becoming a sponsor or to purchase tickets, call 803-928-3071 or visit midlandsent.org.

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