The Beaufort County School District’s inaugural Swinging with the Superintendent golf tournament today raised more than $135,000 to support a new scholarship program that will pay two years of college tuition to qualified students.

The Building a Better Beaufort Scholarship – dubbed “B3” – will cover up to two years of tuition costs at the Technical College of the Lowcountry for Beaufort County high school graduates who have at least a 3.0 GPA. “We established B3 to create new opportunities for our students,” said Superintendent Jeff Moss. “This tournament was our first fundraiser, and we were so fortunate to have such genuine support and partnerships.”

Moss particularly thanked the tournament’s community and business sponsors, including title sponsor Durham School Services. Thirty-four teams played in the sold-out event at Callawassie Island.  The first-place team was composed of Patrick Mitchell, John Rhodes, Bill Evans and Eddie Shannon.  The second-place team was Chad Mayles, Chris Wagner, Ted Wagner and Joe Waters.

Revenues from the golf tournament will accumulate in an endowment fund, but 2014 high school graduates can use the scholarship immediately thanks to a special donation from the nonprofit organization Know2.

Know2 announced today that it was adding an additional $26,000 to its initial donation of $35,000 for a total gift
of $61,000.

“Our students are the real winners today,” said Evans, who is the chairman of the Beaufort County Board of Education.  “We’re already planning the 2015 tournament, and we hope everyone marks their calendars.”

Moss said the district will work with guidance counselors and educators to spread the word about the new scholarship and its GPA requirement. Interested students from the class of 2014 should apply to TCL, fill out the FAFSA form and apply for the B3 scholarship.

For more information about the scholarship, visit www.tcl.edu/b3. For more information about Swinging with the Superintendent, visit www.bcsdgolf.com.