Chapin, SC (Paul Kirby) – Chapin businessman Tim Slice, who is a co-owner and administrator of the Generations Assisted Living chain, played Santa a little early this year to help Chapin look its best for Christmas. Slice donated funds to help buy some new decorations for the holiday season that will be used around the Town of Chapin.
In the Town’s 2018/19 budget, Chapin officials budgeted for the addition of some new Christmas decorations. Some of the old ones were showing their age and the luster had long gone. These outdoor decorations can be very expensive, so the Town’s leaders planned to buy a few at a time over several years.
Last spring, the Town’s largest business filed for bankruptcy protection. They closed their doors in August. They were not just the largest business; they also paid the largest business license fee to the Town. It was a hard hit for the Town’s finances, and leaders had to begin looking at where they could save money on non-essential items. At some point, everyone agreed that new Christmas decorations would be nice, but they would have to be pushed back several years.
When Tim Slice heard this, he felt that his hometown should look its best during the holidays. He had been blessed by good business over the years and knew he could do something to pay those blessings forward. Slice wrote a check for an undisclosed amount to the Town so that they could buy some new decorations to display this year.
Town Councilman Al Koon said Tuesday that Slice has always been one to share with others. He puts on a huge firework show on July 4th for the entire community. He also gives generously to athletics and other programs at Chapin High School. “Santa can come in many shapes and sizes,” Koon said. “In this case, our town’s Santa has an office on East Boundary Street. There, he loves and respects the residents and employees of Generations providing them with a real “Senior Experience. In this case, he’s showed once again how much he loves where he lives and the people who are his neighbors.”
Chapin’s Communications and Public Affairs Director Nicholle Burroughs said recently she hopes that people will visit Chapin and see how the small-town transforms during the holidays. “We’ve been blessed by people like Tim Slice and we want to share those blessing with everyone. It’s going to be beautiful!” she concluded.
