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Renamed Anne Springs Close Bridge Program to Honor Anne Close’s Lifelong Legacy of Providing Recreation Access to All

For more than 80 years, non-profit organization Leroy Springs & Co. (LSC) has provided affordable, quality recreation and community activities and facilities in our communities. Today, LSC strives to make similar recreation opportunities accessible for the next generation. The nonprofit provider, which operates the Anne Springs Close Greenway, Springs Golf, FLYERS Programs and Springmaid Mountain, is committed to connecting people to nature through recreational and educational activities that foster a passion for the outdoors.

To make these facilities accessible for all, LSC established a financial assistance program known as the Leroy Springs & Co. Bridge Program in 2018 to provide free or reduced membership and programming to the Anne Springs Close Greenway, FLYERS and other LSC programs for individuals who qualify. In 2021, LSC awarded $228,265 in financial assistance, representing over 440 families and individual recipients. The total amount awarded since the program’s official inception in 2018 equates to more than $641,775 and over 1,460 families or individuals served through the program.

In August of 2021, LSC lost its visionary leader and Greenway founder, Anne Springs Close, at age 95. Ms. Close served at the helm of the LSC board of directors for more than 40 years and believed deeply in growing the reach of the LSC Bridge Program, providing a means for even more people to afford the organization’s recreation and education opportunities. In December 2021, the LSC board voted unanimously to rename the program in her memory and honor. Moving forward, the program will be referred to as the Anne Springs Close Bridge Program, providing the same fundamental access to recreation and education opportunities that were so important to Ms. Close.  

“The mission of LSC remains the same after many years of service in this community – we strive to provide affordable, quality recreation, education and community activities in Fort Mill and throughout the greater Charlotte region,” explained John Gordon, CEO of Leroy Springs & Company and Executive Director of the Anne Springs Close Greenway. “Ms. Close believed deeply in our organization’s mission, as she knew firsthand the power of exposing people to the outdoors and enhancing our community’s understanding and appreciation for nature and conservation. We are proud to rename this program in her memory, and we remain certain that the Anne Springs Close Bridge Program will continue to bring people of all walks of life to our LSC facilities to learn about and appreciate nature and the outdoors.”

Anyone is eligible to apply for assistance through the Anne Springs Close Bridge Program. Eligibility is based upon income using the USDA Child Nutrition Program Income Eligibility Guidelines. Other qualifying programs include S.N.A.P. (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), T.A.N.F. (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), among others. Special circumstances are also considered on a case-by-case basis. For questions or to apply for financial assistance, please call 803-547-1047 or visit our website to complete the online application.

About Leroy Springs & Company, Inc.
For more than 80 years, Leroy Springs & Company, Inc. has provided affordable, quality recreation and community activities and facilities in the region home to the historic Springs Cotton Mills. Today, LSC is headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, and provides the next generation with similar recreation opportunities, including the Anne Springs Close Greenway, (Fort Mill ), FLYERS Programs (Fort Mill), Springs Golf course portfolio (Chester, Fort Mill, Lancaster, Springfield), and Springmaid Mountain (Spruce Pine, NC). For more information, visit LeroySprings.com.