Welcome from the Zonta Club of Bluffton, SC!
The Go Girl! program is a new signature service project recently devised by the Zonta Club of Bluffton. On March 21, 2009, we held our first fun and informative workshop for local young women currently attending high school & college. Character and leadership development, money and finance and health, nutrition and exercise were the topics discussed.
All young women attending the workshop were eligible to apply for several scholarships totaling $3,000. We had a total of 5 scholarship winners for 2009!
Special thanks to the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton for allowing us the space to host this great event!
Our Annual Go Girl! workshop will be March 20th, 2010 at the Weichert Realtors Coastal Properties. It is held from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Please feel free to contact us at info@zontaclubofbluffton.com for any questions or for registration!
Zonta Club of Bluffton will be using the money earned from Markel's to decorate two rooms for the women a part of the program. We will be having dinner while we decorate and meet these incredible young women and those who help advise and care for them in February. 
Markel's Night
Thurs. Nov. 19, 2009 from 5:00-9:00pm
Each November, Markel's Gift Shop (Kittie's Crossing, Bluffton) hosts a wonderful fundraising event for us. The Zonta Club of Bluffton, along with many wonderful members of our community joined together for an evening of refreshments & shopping fun as we kicked off the Christmas shopping season a little early. Markel's donates a portion of the day's proceeds to the Zonta Club of Bluffton for use in our service projects throughout the year. In the past, this has enabled us to participate in projects such as helping to provide microfinancing for women in impoverished countries through Kiva. The Zonta Club of Bluffton chose to raise this year's money toward a local charity, The Room at the Inn in Bluffton.
The Room at the Inn supports young ladies who are in need of assistance and support through difficult times. It is a unique, comprehensive program helping homeless, single, pregnant women, not only during their pregnancies but also after the birth of their babies. By providing shelter, food, clothing, case management, in-house daycare, transportation, life skills education, and counseling in a structured environment, we help these families have new lives of healthy, hope-filled self sufficiency.
Events like Markel's Night are so important to the Zonta Club of Bluffton. Not only for those locally but also on an international level. We are proud to be a part of our community and have the opportunity to serve the women who live among us.
Ducky Derby
Our Ducky Derby is an annual rubber ducky race with 100% of the proceeds benefiting our "Go Girl!" signature service project.
It is held at the Annual Bluffton Village Festival in downtown Bluffton. Each year, thousands of numbered “digital” ducks brave the waters via a huge projection screen at our booth. The Top 5 ducks to cross the “finish line” win prize packages of money, items and/or gift certificates from generous area businesses.
Advance tickets can be purchased starting in April 2010 from any Zonta Club of Bluffton member or by visiting our website. Tickets will also be available for purchase the day of the race at our Ducky Booth at the Bluffton Village Festival.
Any local business wishing to sponsor and/or donate gift certificates and prizes to this year’s Ducky Derby is welcome to contact Erin Yocco at (843) 368-5356 or email info@zontaclubofbluffton.com.
Helping Hope Haven
Members collected t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, & flip-flops for the Hope Haven of the Lowcountry. Hope Haven distributes these items to local hospitals to be handed out to rape victims. Since a victim's clothing must commonly be turned over to the police as evidence, this usually means that they must leave the hospital in a gown or scrubs. Our hope is that these fresh sets of clothing will help these victims leave the hospital with a sense of dignity.
