Coastal Carolina University received a $12,850 donation from area Walmart stores during its annual back to school pep rally event on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at the Myrtle Ridge Drive location. CCU and Walmart have partnered to host this event for more than 10 years.

CCU’s Move-in Day is typically one of the busiest days of the year for the Myrtle Ridge Walmart location. The shopping day historically rivals the location’s Black Friday.

Donations were collected from several area Walmart stores, and the store managers presented a check to CCU President Michael T. Benson and the University’s LiveWell staff during the event. Walmart employees and local business representatives welcomed new and returning CCU students and families during the event, which featured giveaways and live appearances from Chauncey, the Chanticleer Girls dance team, and the Chanticleer Regiment marching band. Walmart staff wore teal and assisted families in finding the essentials they needed as they moved their students into their residence halls this weekend, including CCU merchandise, cleaning products, snacks, televisions, mini fridges, vacuum cleaners, and more.

This contribution will benefit LiveWell’s health initiatives on campus.

LiveWell’s focus is on the nine dimensions of wellness - physical, emotional, social, financial, occupational, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental – and encouraging the University’s students, faculty, and staff to live healthy lifestyles.

Marguerite O’Brien, director of LiveWell, said she is grateful for Walmart’s donation and excited about the possibilities it will provide for CCU students during the 2023-2024 academic year.

“We feel lucky and so grateful to have the continued support of our local Walmart stores to champion the work we do to support students’ well-being,” O’Brien said. “We know that incoming students throughout the United States are dealing with challenges among all the dimensions of wellness, especially mental and emotional wellness. At LiveWell, we provide education, resources, and services to help students navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of collegiate life.”

O’Brien said that this year’s donation will support LiveWell’s SHORE peer educator program. “These students are trained to lead health promotion efforts on campus,” she said. “Peer-led education is one of the most effective ways we can reach our student population.”

LiveWell helps students with stress and time management, sleep hygiene, getting adequate physical activity and nutrition, and maintaining healthy relationships. The office also teaches students how to take care of each other through its StepUP! bystander intervention program.

New for this academic year is a lounge space for students in recovery. The Chants for Recovery lounge is located in the Lib Jackson Student Union and provides a safe, welcoming, judgment-free space for students in recovery to study, hang out, and make meaningful connections with other students.

Click here to learn more about LiveWell’s mission and services.