Summerville Briefs

Grants available for breast health

The Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure will offer small grant funding up to $5,000 for qualified nonprofits throughout 2008.

Grants are to be used for innovative projects in the areas of breast health and breast cancer education, outreach, screening and treatment support.

These populations include Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper and Orangeburg counties.

The grant funds are provided from community donations to the 2007 Komen Race for the Cure and other events such as the Rally for the Cure and Bowl for the Cure.

For more information, call 843-556-8011 or visit www.komenlowcountry.org.

Students meet financial challenge

Eleven students from Ron Daniel's three business and personal finance classes at Summerville High School won certificates for their responses to the first-ever National Financial Literacy Challenge.

Issued by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and the U.S. Treasury Department, the challenge consists of a 35-question standardized online exam. More than 46,000 high school students across the country and in Department of Defense schools around the world took the exam.

The challenge is designed to help youth better navigate the nation's financial systems.

Daniel's students β€” Abe Clark, Jonelle Hamrick, David Hester, Kidada Irick, Onur Jerdan, Jonathan LePage, Ryan Link, Serena Miller, Amy Prine, Camille Toliver and Michael Washington β€” earned Treasury Department certificates for meeting the challenge.

Nonprofits invited to apply for grants

The Coastal Community Foundation of Coastal South Carolina is inviting all nonprofit organizations in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties to apply for its annual Open Grants program.

Awards up to $10,000 are available, and grants are made in the areas of the arts, education, environment, health, basic human needs or neighborhood and community development.

The application deadline is June 2. Copies of application instructions are available at www.CCFgives.org or at 90 Mary St. in Charleston.

For more, call 723-3635.

Big Lebowski party planned for June 21

The second annual Lowcountry Big Lebowski Celebration will be at 7 p.m. June 21 at the Madra Rua Irish Pub, 1034 East Montague Ave., North Charleston.

The event will celebrate "The Big Lebowski," a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

The movie chronicles a few days in the life of an unemployed California slacker and recreational bowler after he is mistaken for a millionaire with the same name.

The celebration will also have a costume contest, movie trivia and white Russian drink specials. Guests are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite character from the movie. Prizes will be awarded. Admission is free.

For more information, call 554-2522 or visit www.madraruapub.com or www.myspace.com/lowcountrylebowski.

Sustainability group building rain barrels

The Sustainability Institute will be offering its annual workshop to teach rain barrel assembly 10-noon June 14 at The Green House, 1441 East Montague Ave.

Rain barrel kits must be pre-ordered by mailing an RSVP and a check for $55 to 1441 East Montague Ave., North Charleston, 29405.

For more information, call 529-3416.