A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE portion OF HIGHWAY 17 BETWEEN MAIN STREET AND STARWATCH DRIVE IN horry COUNTY "George rayford Vereen highway" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THE DESIGNATION.

Whereas, George Rayford Vereen was born on September 15, 1938. His life has been consistently marked by dedication to his community; and

Whereas, a devout Christian, Mr. Vereen has served Lakeside Baptist Church as deacon, chairman of the finance committee, chairman of the ushers, member of the building and grounds committee, and church moderator; and

Whereas, Mr. Vereen was witness to the consolidation of Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Windy Hill, and Crescent Beach and their joint formation of the City of North Myrtle Beach. He served on the city's first council and as the city's first mayor pro tempore; and

Whereas, motivated to help those in need, Mr. Vereen led efforts to create Seacoast Hospital in Little River, thereby expanding medical access to the surrounding community. He also helped found the Home for Boys and Girls in Little River, now called Sea Haven. The organization has been a stabilizing force in the lives of homeless and at-risk youth; and

Whereas, Mr. Vereen was also an active member and president of the North Myrtle Beach Lions Club, demonstrating further commitment to volunteer service; and

Whereas, Mr. Vereen was president of the Horry County Gamecock Club, of which he has been a member for more than forty years. He served on the board of directors of the North/South All-Star Game Committee, bringing high school all-stars to Myrtle Beach and giving them the opportunity to earn scholarships; and

Whereas, in appreciation of his exemplary service to others, Mr. Vereen was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent by Governor Jim Hodges in 2002; and

Whereas, Mr. Vereen served as a long-time board member and chairman of the Grand Strand Water and Sewer Board of Directors and for over twenty-three years as the chairman of the Horry County Transportation Committee. Under his leadership, hundreds of road improvement projects and infrastructure services were provided to tens of thousands of citizens throughout Horry County; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly value and appreciate Mr. Vereen's dedication to serving the people of the Grand Strand community. It would be fitting and proper to pay tribute to this son of South Carolina by naming a portion of road in the State in his honor.  Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, request that the Department of Transportation name the portion of Highway 17 between Main Street and Starwatch Drive in Horry County "George Rayford Vereen Highway" and erect appropriate markers or signs at this location containing the designation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation and presented to George Rayford Vereen.

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