Consider A Special Gift This Holiday Season

 

Victoria Smalls, St. Helena Island Native

Happy Holidays from St. Helena Island. Like every community across the country, those of us from the Gullah community are reflecting upon our blessings from 2017. We are spending precious moments celebrating the season with loved ones and thinking about the possibilities of the new year that lie ahead.

As a culture striving to maintain our traditions, our land, our heritage, and our very way of being, this is a particularly sentimental and motivational time of year. We pay homage to our ancestors who have significantly contributed to American history – many say they are the forebears of African American history. But we also carry a weight as we worry about the future of our entire culture.

Few in the United States are even aware of the Gullah culture and its communities throughout the southern sea coast islands. Even less, they couldn’t imagine our country without the contributions of some of the most famous Gullah people: Robert Smalls, whose bravery elevated him from a position of enslavement to U.S. Congressman; and Septima Poinsette Clark, an educator who played a critical role in the drive for voting rights for African Americans, to name two.

Gullah Gone: Preserving the Land, Water and Culture of the Sea Islands is a remarkable documentary that can help educate the world about Gullah heritage, but more importantly it highlights the struggle to preserve our traditions and land before our culture becomes a faint memory. As I’m sure you can imagine, films require funding. And documentary filmmakers are extraordinary people who are committed to telling important stories without regard for profit.

During this season of giving, please consider a gift of $500 to help ensure Gullah Gone is completed as currently scheduled – at the end of 2018. Simply visit http://bit.ly/2Butn5o to make your donation online, or use the enclosed envelope. A gift of any size can make a difference, but as you consider your gift here’s some perspective: $500 pays two days of travel expenses for a film crew; one day of film editing; or three days of support from a public relations/outreach team to ensure the maximum number of people are exposed to this film. These are just a few of many expenses still needed to complete the film.

For more information about the film, the team and its progress, visit www.thegullahproject.org. You can also learn more about this giving campaign and the recognition opportunities that are available for you based on your gift size.

Thank you for your consideration. All the best to you and your loved ones during this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Victoria Smalls
Story Consultant for Gullah Gone

Donation Opportunities:

As a token of thanks for your generosity, you will receive the following (including the items at and below your gift level).

$100+ – a link to The Gullah Project 7-minute movie when it is available

$500+ – a limited edition Gullah Gone desktop calendar (to be mailed by mid-February)

$1000+ — VIP invitation to a special event in the St. Helena/Beaufort area to meet with Gullah Gone cast members (Spring 2018)

$2500+ — Recognition in the closing credits of Gullah Gone (to be completed approximately January 2019)

$5000+ — VIP Tickets for the Gullah Gone Premiere (anticipated in January/February 2019, this includes the film and reception and will take place in the Beaufort, SC region)