2026 Fall Community Breakfast Set For November 6th

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce is holding the 2026 Fall Community Breakfast on Friday, November 6th at The Florence Center, 3300 W Radio Dr.

This year’s program will be presented by the city of Florence. City officials and presenters will talk about Telling Our Story: Why Choose Florence? And the answer is – Because sometimes the best things happening in our community are the things we don’t hear enough about.

A great deal is happening every day in our great city and sometimes we are not aware of the significant accomplishments we have made as a city over recent years. Join us as we find out all the city has been up to and what is brewing in the future years.

The Chamber’s Community/Legislative Breakfast is an informational gathering held twice each year. Topics range from state and local representatives providing legislative updates to local concerns centered on government, community safety, health care, and education. The breakfast is open to business and civic leaders as well as the public.

The doors for breakfast will open at 7:30 a.m. and the program begins at 7:50 a.m.

Registration is required to attend: $30 for Chamber members and $40 for non-members. Special reserved tables of 8 are available for $260.  The breakfast is made possible by Signature Wealth Group and First Reliance Bank.

To register online, click here.

Dr. Cynthia Gray Named Dean of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at FDTC

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Florence-Darlington Tech (FDTC) is pleased to announce that Cynthia Gray, Ed.D., has been named the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

As Dean, she will lead the colleges Nursing and Allied Health programs that include: Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Dental Hygiene, and Expanded Duty Dental Assisting.

“I am thrilled to serve as Dean of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Florence-Darlington Tech,” Gray said. “FDTC has a wonderful culture for learning, one that empowers students and faculty alike to grow and excel. My goal is to build on that foundation so we can provide the communities we serve with the very best healthcare professionals.”

Gray steps into the permanent role after serving as Interim Dean for the past year. She previously served as the Director of Programs for Corporate and Workforce Development before taking over the interim role. As Interim Dean, she restructured division leadership from a single-dean model to a Dean and Associate Dean structure to strengthen oversight and support across the college’s Nursing and Allied Health Programs.

To read the full press release, click here.

Chamber Fall Golf Classic – Last Thursday

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Last Thursday, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce held its 2026 Fall Golf Classic at The Traces Golf Club, presented by Anderson Brothers Bank with additional support from Segra and Pepsi of Florence.

128 golfers enjoyed the day starting with a great lunch served in the club house by Pee Dee Catering. Throughout the day the golfers enjoyed 17 different hospitality tee box sponsors serving snacks, beverages, beer, specialty drinks, fun prizes and other golf giveaways.

Photos by True Light Photography.

For a complete list of participants and winners, please click here.

MUSC Plastic Surgery Featured on ChamberLink Radio

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Dr. Rebecca Kelley, Plastic Surgeon was the Florence Chamber’s guest this past weekend, sharing information about comprehensive plastic surgery care to patients throughout Florence and the Pee Dee region. She will cover topics of reconstruction and augmentation, body contouring, and aesthetic surgery of the breast, body and face.

We encourage you to tune-in every Sunday from 12:00-12:30pm on LIVE 95.3FM in Florence, SC.

This program is brought to you by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, MUSC Health Florence Medical Center and LIVE 95.3FM.

Looking for past ChamberLink Radio Show interviews? Click here: https://www.flochamber.com/events-programs/podcasts/

 

South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce’s Vision and Voice Tour – Last Wednesday

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Last week, The Greater Florence Chamber and The Greater Hartsville Chamber partnered with South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce to bring the area the Vision and Voice Tour presenting BLUEPRINT 2026 – A Roadmap for South Carolina’s Economic Future. This year’s event was held at Hartsville Country Club in Hartsville, SC.

This interactive event provided area business representatives with an opportunity to complete the SCMC’s Grassroots Survey sharing the challenges, opportunities, and policy priorities facing our business communities. The insights gathered by the SCMC leaders will help shape advocacy efforts and legislative priorities for the upcoming year in Columbia.

The program was led by Will Frierson, VP of Government Affairs, South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce office.

Special thanks to Sonoco for sponsoring the luncheon.

To read the full story, click here.

Keep Florence Beautiful Receives Keep America Beautiful’s 2026 President’s Circle Award

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We’re proud to share that Keep Florence Beautiful has received Keep America Beautiful’s 2026 President’s Circle Award!

This reflects the work happening all year long within our community to reduce litter, support recycling, and make Florence a beautiful place to call home.

To our volunteers, community partners, and board members: thank you for showing up and making it happen. We’re glad to share this honor with you!

To read the full story, click here.

2026 -2027 Fellows in Education Kickoff

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Last week the 2026 -2027 Fellows in Education class began their journey through the 9-month program with Florence 1 Schools.

The first visit was McLaurin Elementary School, a 3K-2nd grade public Montessori school here in Florence. The class got a firsthand look at what makes Montessori learning so special. School Principle, Mrs. Amy Williams, and the school administration, shared information about the Montessori method, explored the unique classroom setup, and provided a glimpse into the purposeful, hands-on learning happening every day.

The Fellows program is designed to give community leaders a unique, behind-the-scenes look into several schools within Florence 1 Schools over a nine-month period.

The Fellows In Education program is a partnership project between Florence 1 Schools, the School Foundation and the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

To see more photos from the session, click here.

Kickin’ Chicken Wing & Chili Fest Featured on Small Town USA

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In Florence, South Carolina…the Kickin’ Chicken Wing & Chili Festival kicks off on Friday, October 16th, bringing an evening packed with wings, chili, cold drinks, and live music to downtown Florence. Running from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., this annual Greater Florence Chamber event turns the downtown streets into a big outdoor food festival, with several wing and chili vendors competing for first place. You can walk from stand to stand trying different recipes, from saucy chicken wings to bowls of homemade-style chili, while checking out other food choices available throughout the festival. A wide selection of domestic and craft beer will be served along with wine, water, and Pepsi products. Music is also a big part of the night, with Chocolate Chip & Company Band performing live from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The mix of cooking teams, food stands, music, and crowds gives the whole downtown area the feel of a lively fall street party. If you love wings or chili, you’ll have plenty of different flavors to try while enjoying four hours of food, drinks, and live entertainment.

To read the original story, click here.

United Way of Florence County’s Day of Caring

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More than 300 volunteers fanned out across Florence County on Friday, September 18, completing 68 service projects as part of United Way of Florence County’s annual Day of Caring, presented by PGBA/BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

Throughout the day, volunteer teams tackled projects for local nonprofits and community organizations ranging from building repairs, landscaping, and cleaning to painting, supply drives, and packing and delivering meals.

The annual event is designed to connect local nonprofits with volunteers who can provide the extra hands, time and resources needed to accomplish projects that may otherwise remain on their to-do lists.

To read the full press release, click here.