Friends of Mt. Zion Institute

Friends of Mt. Zion Institute
c/o Fairfield County Museum
P. O. Box 6
Winnsboro, SC 29180
ph: 803-635-9811
fomzi@mtzioninstitute.com

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January 20, 2012

We have a brand new year to work with and the fresh hope of RedClay Development and Dru Blair's art school moving forward, FOMZI is delighted at the prospect of posting frequent and exciting updates in the coming months.

Since the December announcement, FOMZI has continued the pledge drive in anticipation of being a non-profit "partner" in what must ultimately be a public/private team effort. (See drop-down "Special Announcement" under this page link.) The response has been gratifying ... $50,000 raised in less than two months! No, not enough yet to complete a first phase but more than enough to convince us that it would be doable if it came down only to citizens who care. For now, though, that isn't the case; but in the weeks ahead we'll carefully weigh options and opportunities to assist.

We've met this week with RedClay and Dru Blair, along with several others who will be involved in the project either as consultants or participants. First steps are being planned, particularly security at the building and immediate stabilization. Also, there's still much groundwork to lay: gaining further community support from the business sector, bringing County leaders on board, and fine-tuning the game plan.

Momentum is building ... and Friends of MZI will keep you posted each step of the way.

THE THANK-YOU LIST GROWS!

Another shout out of thanks goes to Winnsboro Town Council for being willing, yet again, to give Mt., Zion a chance! It's not an easy decision for a body entrusted with the day-to-day services and well-being of a town but IS a decision that shows recognition of the possibilities and appreciation for the rewards a successful readaptation can bring.

Thanks, too, to James Maynard of RedClay Development, PLLC for hanging in there and continuing the quest even when things looked so dim during the worst of the economic crunch ... and to Dru Blair of Blair School of Art for boldly stepping forth and claiming the vision he and so many others have had all along.

HUGE THANKS to all of our pledgers during our recent pledge drive. Your response not only reaffirmed our faith in the validity of the project, it strengthened our belief that individuals, working together, CAN make a positive difference in their community.

January, 2012

A NOTE OF THANKS

To have gotten to this point is more than we dared hope for when we began nearly two years ago, so with Mt. Zion still standing and its future looking nearly secured, it seems important to say a special thank you to those who played the biggest roles in getting us there.

Thank you, McMaster Family, for stepping up to the plate with funds to stop the demolition.

Thank you, Bill McMaster, for eloquently presenting the case on so many occasions.

Thank you,Town Council members, for your individual and collective willingness to keep open minds and open ears about the possibilities for the buildings and what they could mean for the town and county.

Thank you, Town employees, for the extra hours of research and thought we know some of you put in along the way to give Council the information they needed to make the decisions they did.

Thank you, members of the FOMZI Steering Committee and Board, for bringing the cause to public attention and garnering the support that perhaps held things together until the answer came along.

And thank you, MZI friends, for letting us represent you.

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Friends of Mt. Zion Institute
c/o Fairfield County Museum
P. O. Box 6
Winnsboro, SC 29180
ph: 803-635-9811
fomzi@mtzioninstitute.com