GSYP’s Substitutes for Santa Receives Truist 2020 Spirt Award

Grand Strand Young Professionals (GSYP) is pleased to announce it received a 2020 Truist Spirit Award, which includes a $5,000 donation for Substitutes for Santa. The organization was selected for the award as part of the Lighthouse Project, a long-standing BB&T now Truist tradition that allows teammates to support local nonprofit organizations on projects to address critical community needs. Truist teammates organized more than 1,700 unique Lighthouse Project initiatives in 2020 to improve communities across the markets it serves, and GSYP’s Substitutes for Santa is among 14 organizations that received the Spirit Award.

Substitutes for Santa is the main charity hosted by GSYP, a program of Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. GSYP works closely with Horry County Schools to identify elementary-aged students who would benefit from Substitutes for Santa. Every December, GSYP partners with other local organizations including SOS Care, Fun Warehouse and Two Men and a Truck to provide a Christmas experience for more than 100 children.

“Being chosen as a winner for the 2020 Truist Spirit Award is an honor,” said Caroline Murray Yahnis, chamber liaison for the Grand Strand Young Professionals. “Substitutes for Santa has grown over the last 15 years, and our dedication to serve our local community remains the same. This donation ensures Substitutes for Santa can support 50 children this year.”

Last December, the Hwy. 501 BB&T, now Truist branch in Conway, South Carolina, donated blankets, pillows and pillowcases to the 2020 Substitutes for Santa as part of their company’s Lighthouse Project. Since 2009, BB&T now Truist teammates have completed more than 14,000 community service projects, donated 750,000 hours of service and served 20 million people nationwide.

 “We are thankful for the partnership with BB&T now Truist to support this program,” said Karen Riordan, president and CEO of Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “Their generosity and commitment to community involvement are inspirational.”

 “We’re passionate about giving back to the Grand Strand, especially for Substitutes for Santa,” said Christian Wilcox, BB&T now Truist branch leader. “The Truist Spirit Award is another way we’re fulfilling our purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, helping Substitutes for Santa expand their outreach.”

 Anyone interested in partnering with GSYP for Substitutes for Santa in December should contact Caroline Murray Yahnis by calling 843-916-7234.

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About Grand Strand Young Professionals
The Grand Strand Young Professionals, a program of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, was founded in 2008 as gsSCENE, a service-based organization for young professionals along the Grand Strand looking to network with likeminded people and give back to the community. GSYP offers monthly networking, education and community service opportunities for members between the ages of 21 to 40. For more information, visit www.Facebook.com/GrandStrandYP.

About Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Since 1938, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the MBACC its five-star accreditation--one of only a few chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The MBACC serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island, Socastee and Carolina Forest. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.