[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 102 (Monday, July 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            GOOD HOPE PICNIC

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                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 25, 2005

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
residents of Lone Star, SC who are coming together on Friday, August 
12, 2005 for the 90th annual Good Hope Picnic. This historic event 
began on the second Friday of August in 1915, and has continued on the 
same day every year since.
  The Good Hope Picnic was founded by black farmers in this Calhoun 
County town as a way to market their crops. It became a holiday for 
many black farm workers whose white employers gave them the day off to 
attend the picnic.
  Today, the Good Hope Picnic is a family reunion for many Lone Star 
residents who have moved away. Over the years, this once thriving 
community has lost its vibrancy and its jobs. There are few 
opportunities for children who grew up here, and most must leave to 
find work and a better quality of life for their families. Yet Lone 
Star remains their home, and families plan their annual vacations to 
come home for the Good Hope Picnic swelling the population of that 
small community by as many as 400-500 people on that day.
  I have spent a lot of time in Lone Star during my service in 
Congress. I am proud to have brought a new baseball field to the 
community, and am currently working on funding to build a new community 
center. Plans are moving forward on the Briggs-DeLaine-Pearson 
Connector that will bring new opportunities to this area in hopes that 
many of those who consider Lone Star home can reconnect with their 
families and once again find vibrancy in their native community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating the members of 
the Good Hope Picnic Foundation, who are descendants of the picnic's 
original founders. They are continuing a proud tradition that reflects 
the heart and hope of the Lone Star community.

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