| (Washington, DC) - Monday, March 24th is a big day for the Sumter-Columbia Empowerment Zone. There will be ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings and dedications of four projects in the heart of South Carolina’s only Empowerment Zone. Leading the day will be Sixth District Congressman James E. Clyburn who secured the federal Empowerment Zone designation and millions in funding for community development projects within its boundaries. Congressman Clyburn will be joined by Congressman Dick Gephardt, the former Democratic Leader of the House who shepparded the Empowerment Zone legislation through Congress.
“This is an exciting day for residents of the Sumter-Columbia Empowerment Zone to see some tangible impact of this designation in their neighborhoods. This is a true celebration of what can be achieved in neglected communities when they have someone committed to fighting for investments in their future,” Congressman Clyburn said. “I am proud to share this celebration with my colleague Congressman Gephardt, because his work in the House made the Empowerment Zone program a reality.”
“Empowering people is the heart of this program. I have seen Empowerment Zones make a difference in my district and all across this country, and I am proud to be a part of the celebration of the program’s success here in South Carolina,” Congressman Gephardt said. “I am going to continue to fight to fully fund our nation’s Empowerment Zones even though the current Administration has proposed eliminating all program funding.”
The Congressional leaders will begin the celebration in Columbia by dedicating the new I-277 Overpass between Farrow and Fountain Roads at 10:00 a.m. This pedestrian overpass was constructed with Congressman Clyburn’s support and $1.8 in federal funding after several neighborhood residents including a 7-year-old girl were killed crossing the busy four-lane highway, which was completed in 1975 dividing two contiguous communities.
Congressman Clyburn and Congressman Gephardt will then travel to Sumter to participate in a 12:00 groundbreaking ceremony for the new Intermodal Transportation Center. Congressman Clyburn secured $5 million in the recent Omnibus funding bill to begin transforming an existing warehouse on South Harvin Street into a hub for public transit.
The next celebration will be a 1:00 p.m. luncheon and dedication at the North Main Street Hope Center in Sumter. They will dedicate the newly opened community center, which was constructed with funding from the federal investments Congressman Clyburn has secured for Empowerment Zone, which totals $19 million to date including $3 million in the recent Omnibus Bill.
The day’s celebrations will be capped off with a 3:00 p.m. visit to the Birnie Hope Center in the Sumter neighborhood where Congressman Clyburn grew up. The Congressmen will conclude the celebration by visiting with community children participating in an after school program run by the Empowerment Zone, because they are the motivation for investing in this region’s future.
“I do not believe that the people of the Sixth District sent me to Washington to perpetuate substandard communities or maintain the status quo,” Congressman Clyburn said. “The Empowerment Zone designation is a powerful tool to revitalize communities that have been plagued by years of neglect. These events represent a new beginning for what should be a promising future.”
The Sumter-Columbia Empowerment Zone was established in 1999. The designated area serves a population with double the national unemployment rate, and 60 percent of its children live in poverty.
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U.S. Congressman 
