BLYTHEWOOD – A seven-year-old Lake Carolina second grader, Gaius Bethea, spent the better part of Friday, June. 7, reigning over Blythewood as mayor.
That good fortune befell the mini mayor when his parents, Gary and Shayla Bethea of Crickentree were the highest bidder at a school auction.
As part of the annual Lake Carolina Elementary Gator Fest fundraiser, the school’s PTO held an online auction. One of the items up for auction this year was a chance to be Blythewood’s “mayor for a day”, sponsored by the Town of Blythewood.
The four-hour-or-so experience included the little mayor and his younger brother, Elijah, 5, (the mayor pro tem) arriving at town hall in a white stretch limousine with police escort (sirens blaring) and another limo ride with Mayor Sloan Griffin to Scout Motor’s headquarters in downtown Columbia.
When the young officials arrived at town hall about 10 a.m. Friday morning, Griffin and the town hall staff were gathered on the porch to greet them. The Town’s videographer, Andrew Gajadhar was on hand to video the entire experience.
After being sworn in to office on the porch by Richland County Council Chairman Overture Walker, the Bethea brothers were ushered into the mayor’s office to sign documents. Then, with the Town’s marketing person and videographer in tow, the group proceeded on foot to Doko Park playground to determine if the young mayor and mayor pro tem had suggestions for improvement to the playground and park. They suggested the addition of a dog park and more benches.
Hopping back into the limo, the group was then whisked to the Columbia headquarters of Scout Motors where they were introduced to the company’s Chief Production Officer Dr. Jan Spies. The young officials, their parents and Griffin were then limo’ed to Alexander’s restaurant in Cobblestone Park for lunch. After a stop at Sweet Pea’s for ice cream, it was time for the reign to end, and the young officials and their parents were limo-ed home.
Griffin told The Voice prior to the ‘mayor for the day’ event, that he felt it was something he might do on a regular basis.
