May 11, 2007

SCSDB News For Immediate Release

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

• A Palmetto Gold School • A Red Carpet School

Media contacts:

Katie Rice, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7506

krice@scsdb.k12.sc.us

Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505

sgoolsby@scsdb.k12.sc.us

SPARTANBURG -- Kevin Hall, the first deaf golfer to play in a PGA tournament, will visit students at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind on May 15 at 9:30 a.m. He will be joined by the Golf Channel’s Jennifer Mills and local pro Kyle Thompson.

The golfers will visit SCSDB as part of the annual BMW Charity Classic. “Each year BMW chooses one charity for a visit by the golfers, and SCSDB is honored to be selected,” said Heather Patchett, executive director of the Walker Foundation, SCSDB’s fund-raising arm. “It’s a great chance for the golfers to come out and spend time with some of the individuals who benefit from the golf classic.”

During the visit, SCSDB students plan to demonstrate goalball, a sport developed as part of the rehabilitation of blinded war veterans in 1946. The game is played on a 60 x 40 foot court with teams aligned on each end of the court. All players are blindfolded and listen for the sound of bells inside a ball, similar to a heavy basketball. The object of the game is to throw the goalball past the opposing team.

Students also plan to perform musical selections. Kindergartners and first and second graders plan to share cookies and punch with the golf celebrities.

Kevin Hall is profoundly deaf having lost his hearing due to childhood meningitis. He won his first national tournament at age 13 and holds a journalism degree from Ohio State University.

An anchor/report for the Golf Channel, Jennifer Mills regularly reports from PGA tour and all major championships. Originally from Greenville, she co-anchors Golf Central, new College Central, Viewer’s Forum and Golf Talk Live.

A University of South Carolina graduate, Kyle Thompson turned pro in 2001.He competes on the nationwide PGA tour.

The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) is a specialized instructional and resource center. The SC Department of Education named SCSDB a Palmetto Gold School for its academic accomplishments and a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer service. SCSDB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the SC Department of Education. SCSDB offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school , high school, sensory multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary education students, as well as a variety of outreach services through regional centers located throughout the state. The main campus is located in Spartanburg, and regional centers are located throughout the state. SCSDB's Web site address is www.scsdb.k12.sc.us.