Page 18 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2020

COAST NOTE
DRIVE-BY
Birthday
story by Lynn Hoyt
photo courtesy of April Hoyt’s 3rd Grade Class
Turning nine years old is very exciting, and Je ery Hyde was just that – excited, especially after a di cult year of doctor visits, surgery, a neck brace, and missed school days related
to a diagnosis of Chiari Malformation. He knew he would
be celebrating his special day soon by sharing treats with his third grade classmates at Bayou View Elementary School, Gulfport, and hearing them sing “Happy Birthday
to you!” Then, a few days before Je rey’s birthday on
March 21, all the schools on the Coast closed in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To say Je rey was
disappointed is an understatement, but his
teachers, moms of friends, and friends hatched an idea. After phone calls and discussions, the plans were made. On Je rey’s
birthday, after gathering in a nearby parking lot, a surprise
birthday celebration parade rolled by in front of Je rey’s house. “We made sure he was outside,”
said Brandy Hyde, Je ery’s mom. To see the 20 cars drive by as shouts of “Happy Birthday,” streaming decorations, and waving signs made it a birthday to remember – always.
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo courtesy of Bacot McCarty Foundation
FOR NONPROFITS
While the originally scheduled April 17 and 18 Jolly McCarty weekend golf tournament and gala was postponed due to the spread of coronavirus, the Bacot McCarty Foundation has continued its mission of funding local nonpro ts, especially during this di cult time.
“The Jolly” usually raises more than $400,000, which is distributed to organizations such as the YMCA, Boys &
Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, Singing River Health System Foundation, Dream Program and Community Care Network, but the foundation knew that nonpro ts would need support, regardless of the event’s postponement.
“Our top priority was getting emergency checks to our partner nonpro ts,” said Bacot-McCarty Executive Director Todd Trenchard. “We felt that it was very important to get funds to them and other frontline responders to show them they are not forgotten and to give them some support during these trying times. We are so proud of how each of them has conducted themselves throughout this ordeal.”
IP Casino Resort Spa, a longtime supporter of Bacot McCarty, made a donation of $150,000 to kick o the foundation’s annual fundraising shortly before the casinos were closed. The foundation is using that money, as well as money the board voted to take from an investment account, to assist the community amidst COVID-19.
18 | May 2020
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