Valley / Mountain Park

Valley/Mountain Park CRO focus Is Kids Come First. Working with local schools and organizations benefiting children and their families, CRO provides both financial support and volunteer services. Since its inception in 2007, Valley/Mountain Park CRO has raised over $2 million from our residents partners, and sponsors and volunteered over 130,000 hours of resident time.

The CRO raises funds at a fundraiser every 18 months; donations go directly to supporting children from pre-K through high school with a special emphasis on education.

Local School Support

CRO works with neighborhood public schools to enrich their educational programs and improve the lives of their students. Our current target areas include Slater–Marietta, Travelers Rest, and Berea.

CRO currently has programs in four elementary schools (Armstrong, Gateway, Slater-Marietta, and Westcliffe), two middle schools (Berea and Northwest), and one high school (Travelers Rest). Students in the two elementary schools will attend the latter two schools as their education progresses. In addition, CRO supports public high school students enrolled in Furman University’s Bridges to a Brighter Future Program.

Elementary Schools

Armstrong Elementary School

CRO helped the STEAM teacher at Armstrong Elementary start a VEX robotics program for her students in 2022. The CRO provided robot kits used to design and build robots. The program was very successful in that two teams were able to qualify to compete at the SC State Championship!

Gateway Elementary School

CRO has provided family nutritional support since 2013; we purchased Fountas and Pinnell reading kits for 4 grades and completed the purchase of Chromebooks for every child in the school. CRO has purchased dry erase desks for 4 grades and provided computer charging carts for every classroom.

Slater-Marietta Elementary School

Cliffs residents have been volunteering in a tutoring program at Slater-Marietta since 2007. CRO provided classroom and playground equipment. CRO also funded a new Second Step/Emotional Curriculum for students and teachers aimed at student personal growth. Supplemental food support started at Slater-Marietta in 2006.

Westcliffe Elementary School

CRO began a book program at Westcliffe in 2023. Forced to retire aging library books, Westcliffe requested that CRO help restock their library to provide age-specific reading material at multiple proficiency levels to ensure that all students had access to desirable books

Middle Schools

Northwest Middle School

CRO support founded a robotics program at Northwest in 2018. In the five years of the program, over 70 students constructed, programmed, and competed with their robots at tournaments throughout the State. Eight of the teams performed well enough to compete at the State Championship, including two teams in 2024.

Berea Middle School

In 2022 CRO provided a new hoodie to each of the 900 students at the school. Each class received a different color shirt, each with the school bulldog mascot and the name of the school on the front. The gifts were delivered by Santa at Christmas at a large assembly and the gifts were all unwrapped at the same time.

High Schools

Travelers Rest High School

CRO supported a unique nutrition and training program for athletes and students interested in careers in law enforcement and the military. CRO provided equipment to monitor exercise physiology and weight room equipment for their newly expanded gymnasium. The new weight room will benefit all students at the school. In 2023 CRO provided state-of-the art computer equipment for a new program in animation, web-site design, and game development. Nutritional support began at the high school in 2018.

Bridges to a Brighter Future

Bridges to a Brighter Future is a Furman University Program for public high school students throughout Greenville County with exceptional academic promise but limited financial means. Students are recommended to the program by their high schools.

Since 2007, CRO has supported the purchase of laptop computers for students graduating from the program to help them in their college careers, visits to potential college campuses, and annual men and women of distinction dinners that acquaint students with successful career professionals.

Cliffs residents have taught courses in the Bridges Summer Program in which students spend a month on the Furman campus.

Support For Non-Profit Organizations

A Child's Haven

A Child’s Haven, located in Berea, works with children who have developmental delays due to lack of resources or neglect. In 2023 CRO provided hand-held radios to facilitate real-time communication between staff working on their extended campus. Historically, CRO provided funds for equipment including laptop computers, A/V/ equipment, and a steamer used to prepare breakfast and lunches for the children.

Foothills Family Resources

Foothills Family Resources located in Slater offers resources to Upstate families in need including a food pantry, job counseling, and GED training. CRO funding has assisted their GED program. CRO and Cliffs residents also provide food for their pantry through food drives that have collected over 2 tons of food.

Happy Hooves Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Happy Hooves, located in Marietta, provides equine therapy for children with physical, mental and emotional challenges. In 2022, CRO provided scholarships to help children in need participate in the program.

Mental Health America of Greenville County

Mental Health of America of Greenville County works to positively impact mental health through advocacy, awareness and service. CRO funding has supported an initiative in suicide-prevention for pre-teens and teens in Greenville County.

North Greenville Head Start

North Greenville Head Start in Travelers Rest has received CRO funding since 2017. In 2023 CRO supported reading proficiency at Head Start through participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Library collates books appropriate for pre-school children and provides a book per month at cost to non-profit organizations.

Historically CRO provided a playground with a popular sandbox, and a playhouse. In 2020, holiday food boxes were delivered by CRO volunteers in Santa’s sleigh.

Project Hope Academy

Project Hope, located in Landrum, works with children and adults with autism. CRO supported their educational program by providing A/V equipment, smart boards, and Samsung tablets. In 2022 we outfitted their gym with small equipment and donated golf clubs.

Slater-Marietta Fire Cadet Program

In 2023 CRO funded a special training program for high school-aged students enrolled in the Fire Cadet Program at the Slater-Marietta Fire Department. CRO support permits cadets to attend the Fire Cadet Competition at the South Carolina Firefighter’s Fire Conference – an event designed to foster team building.

Upstate Warrior Solution

Upstate Warrior Solution provides support services to active, retired, and former members of the US Armed Forces and their families living in the Upstate. CRO funding permits Upstate Warrior Solutions to offer events that support the children of veterans.

YMCA Judson Community Center

YMCA Judson Community Center serves elementary school students in the Hollis area located south of Berea.

They provide after school and holiday daycare for children of working families, many of whom attend the neighboring elementary school, Hollis Academy. CRO provides scholarships for students to attend the daycare program.

Holiday Programs

Cliffs Kringle

Cliffs Kringle provides Holiday presents to children at Gateway Elementary, Slater-Elementary, Armstrong Elementary, Berea Middle, and Northwest Middle Schools. In December 2022, CRO provided presents to 145 children. Each bag of presents included clothing, shoes, toys, and educational items

Holiday Food Gifts

In December 2022, CRO distributed 260 holiday food boxes or vouchers to students and their families from the schools we sponsor.

Advisory Council

Sue Berget, Chair
Michael Crawford
Terry Eihl
Sheri Katz-Plotkin
Bob Love, Treasurer
Dr. Barry Miller
Carol Miller, Secretary
Peg Moreland
Julie Taylor, Past Chair
Karin Steube-Vollrath
Barb Watkins
Mike Weitzel

Making A Difference

With the support of these valued Corporate Partners, the CRO is making a difference in the lives of children in the Upstate through literacy, nutrition and mentoring programs. Donations payable to: CRO, Inc., Box 311, Travelers Rest, SC 29690

Presenting Corporate Partner

CRO is grateful for the ongoing generous support of our Corporate Partners which plays an important part in reaching our goals. Please support them if you are in need of their goods or services, and join us in thanking them for their commitment to our mission!

Our Corporate Partners Make a Difference.

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For information about becoming a Corporate Partner, please contact Scott Wallace