MONCKS CORNER, S.C.—For Jennifer Hill and Abbi Holcomb the last year and a half hasn’t exactly been easy.
In September 2012, both women lost someone very important to them—tragically, senselessly and unexpectedly. For Holcomb, that person was her niece. For Hill, that person was her young daughter.
To this day, the two sister-in-laws are still trying to make sense of it all. Because the pain is still too strong, neither want to discuss the details of their loss; however, they continue to appreciate how the community of Berkeley Co. has rallied behind them in their time of need.
“We could be out home drinking but we’re not,” stated Holcomb. “Keeping busy helps us cope, too.”
Fast forward to October 2013–it was during that month that Christopher Bracewell, 23, lost his life along with his brother, Jonathan, 20, in a car wreck while driving in Huger. Both young men were pronounced dead at the scene.
“My kids were friends with the boys,” stated Hill. “I thought of Chris as my son. He spent a lot of time at the house. He was like one of my adopted kids.”
It was around the time of that tragedy that Holcomb and Hill decided to start Lowcountry Vendor Fair—an event that brings local entrepreneurs together under one roof.
Through the event, the women wanted to accomplish one goal: help local business owners increase their sales while also raising money to give back to the community.
“The community was there when we needed them, so we felt that it was our duty to give back after they helped us,” stated Holcomb.
Through Lowcountry Vendor Fair, the women were able to raise more than $200 to help the Bracewell brothers pay for their funeral expenses.
Giving back to a worthy cause
Now both are hoping to raise even more money for another cause—the Wounded Warrior Project.
“We want it to grow. We want people to know that we are out here, and that we’re giving,” stated Hill.
The Wounded Warrior Project serves veterans and service members who’ve incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound, co-incident while defending our country.
For Holcomb and Hill, their ties to the military run deep, so it seemed only fitting to make their next charity fundraising event focused on helping this country’s brave men and women.
“I came out of the military, and I still have a lot of friends in the military,” said Holcomb who spent five years in the U.S. Navy. “I saw a lot of my friends go over, and they don’t come back the same. Being able to leave the military and resume a normal life is hard for some people, and a lot of people can’t do it.”
Hill’s own brother and father are also former military.
“We have a friend’s nephew who was wounded in the military, and I’ve watched her struggle with it. She’s posted pictures of him in the hospital bed. You see how hard it is for a family to go through that when they have kids,” said Hill.
Upcoming event scheduled for Saturday
This Saturday, February 1st, Lowcountry Vendor Fair will be at the American Legion in Goose Creek from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For the first 100 people at the door, they will be treated to a gift bag with all types of goodies donated by the more than 30 vendors in attendance. To view the entire list of vendors, click here.
There will also be a raffle drawing at 4:45 p.m. Tickets are just $1, and the prize is valued at $700.
Both women hope to be able to raise at least $1,000 from the event for The Wounded Warrior Project.
Hill and Holcomb are hoping for a big turnout; however, if you can’t make it to the event, donations to Wounded Warrior can be made by clicking on this link.
As their vendor fair continues to grow, both women says they want to continue helping others the very same way they helped them when they needed it.
If you have a business would like to have a booth at future fairs, please click here:
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