Gov. McMaster is coming to Fort Mill to hand out the state’s highest civilian honor
Gov. Henry McMaster will be in Fort Mill on Thursday for an event honoring a retired police chief and a bevy of state, national and world (series) champions.
Former police chief Jeff Helms will receive the Order of the Palmetto. It’s the highest civilian honor presented in South Carolina, given for lifetime achievement in service and community contributions. Helms served the Fort Mill Police Department for 27 years before retiring last year.
McMaster, state Rep. Raye Felder, Mayor Guynn Savage and other elected officials will attend the 4:30 p.m. event at the Elisha Park amphitheater.
Other honorees at the event will include swim, marching band, cross country and JROTC champions from each of the three town high schools. Fort Mill, Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge high school champions include state, regional and national title honorees.
“We welcome this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our outstanding students,” Fort Mill School District superintendent Chuck Epps said in a release. “Their hard work and dedication to their goals is inspiring to everyone and this opportunity to celebrate them is well deserved.”
Also honored will be the Fort Mill All-Stars, who won the Dixie Youth World Series baseball championship last spring and summer.
Savage said Fort Mill is known for its quality of life, which is tied directly to the people in town.
“We are proud to honor some of those special people during this event and to thank all of those in our community that have made their successes possible,” Savage.
The celebration is in part due to travel or event restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, that limited recognition in recent years. In the release, Felder said the new amphitheater in town makes a great location to get together and celebrate now.
“Prior to the pandemic students would travel to Columbia to be recognized by the House of Representatives,” Felder said. “I know the community will embrace this opportunity to be a part of the celebration.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Gov. McMaster is coming to Fort Mill to hand out the state’s highest civilian honor."
