September 25, 2007

SCSDB News For Immediate Release

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

• A Palmetto Gold School •

Media Contact: Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505 sgoolsyby@scsdb.org

Media Contact: Katie, Rice, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7506 krice@scsdb.org

Football Team from the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind

To Perform National Anthem at Carolina Panthers Game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolina Panthers and their fans will be entertained by an extraordinary rendition of the national anthem at the team’s Sept. 30 home game.

Members of the Hornets varsity football team from the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) will present “The Star-Spangled Banner” in American Sign Language (ASL) at Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte.

This is a first-time appearance for the football team, although the SCSDB student performance has become an annual event at Panthers’ games. It follows the school’s week-long observance of national Deaf Awareness Week.

The SCSDB student performers are: Marvin Black, 15, Florence; Shaquan Boyd, 15, Newberry; Michael Frederick, 17, Charleston; Terry Frierson, 18, Sumter; Dearon Harrington, 16, Wallace; Justin Johnson, 17, Camden; Rakeem Johnson, 15, Walterboro; Michael McKelvey, 16, John’s Island; Antonio Nixon, 17, North Charleston; Hakeem Pinckney, 17, Yemassee; Jartavius Price, 15, Greenwood; Duane Robinson, 17, Ridgeway; Jeffrey Rogers, 15, Easley; Dedrick Simpson, 17, Kingstree; and Quincy Wharton, 17 Calhoun Falls. SCSDB teacher Shannon Fike will direct the group.

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. The school’s web site address is www.scsdb.org and its toll-free telephone number is 1-888-447-2732.

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