A homecoming tailgate party planned for Friday night at Scott's Branch High School will benefit, in part, the foundation formed in memory of a woman who was a beloved mentor and coach at the school.
The 3rd annual Scott's Branch Homecoming Tailgate Party will be held 7 p.m. Friday at the school, with proceeds benefiting Cukye's Children's Foundation, the Scott's Branch Alumni Association, the Summerton Eagles and the LA Foundation.
Cukye's Children's Foundation is named for Ruth "Cukye" Coard, who died Jan. 26, 2012, from injuries sustained in an automobile wreck. The 41-year-old Summerton native had attended a Scott's Branch junior varsity basketball game in Turbeville with her then-8-year-old son, Tyriq, and was headed to Morris College to watch her other son, Adrian, play in a game there when her Chevrolet pickup struck a horse on U.S. 378 just outside of Sumter.
A 1988 graduate of Scott's Branch, Coard played basketball and softball at Morris College before graduating in 1993. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she returned to Summerton, where she coached track, softball and volleyball. She was the head Scott's Branch girls varsity basketball coach at the time of her death. She was also the school's director of transportation.
Tickets for Friday's tailgating party are available at $25 per spot, and are located in front of Spann Stadium. Spots must be purchased in advance of game day by calling Adrian Coard at (803) 410-6817 or emailing adrian.coard@gmail.com. There will be a barbecue contest, and a trophy will be awarded to the one with the best barbecue.
