Fairfax gala honors regional leaders, spotlights community center and growth

The new Fairfax Community Center was full on Tuesday as more than 120 people gathered for the 48th Annual Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce Gala, a cross-county event that put Allendale, Bamberg and Barnwell leaders in the same room and asked a practical question: who is actually moving jobs, services and investment forward?

The evening was sponsored by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Weigh to Go, Just For You Home Care and the Town of Fairfax. Fairfax Mayor Butch Sauls used his remarks to frame the gala as a tribute to people who refuse to settle for less than growth and greatness, while the chamber’s public vote drew 787 entries, a sign that the region was paying attention well beyond the banquet tables. Guests ate a catered meal from Treasie’s Snack Shack and heard Bamberg Mayor Corey Ramsey perform on saxophone before the awards segment began.

The clearest sign that this was more than a ceremonial gathering came when Mary Brown, owner of Just For You Home Care, received the Community Impact Award. Brown was recognized not just as a familiar regional name, but as an employer with more than 200 workers, a number that matters in counties where dependable jobs and local services often come from small businesses rather than large corporate expansions.

Just For You Home Care Services, LLC is listed at 11022 Ellenton Street in Barnwell, and the company says it started in September 2018. It provides assistance to the elderly, disabled, children, expecting moms and DDSN clients, a service mix that reaches deep into everyday life for families trying to keep care close to home. In a rural region where transportation, aging and disability services can determine whether people stay in their communities, that kind of business footprint carries more weight than a trophy on a ballroom table.

The Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber says it is a member-driven, business-focused organization advocating for economic growth in Barnwell and Allendale counties, and its annual member gala is meant to gather, reflect and celebrate the businesses and individuals shaping the region. At Fairfax’s new community center, that mission looked less like regional self-congratulation and more like a public snapshot of where local momentum is coming from, and who is already turning it into jobs and services residents can use now.