LAKE CITY – The Lake City Free Medical Clinic will receive a substantial financial boost on Monday with the official presentation of a $70,000 grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation.

The event will be part of a luncheon ceremony to take place at noon on Monday, April 21 at Nan Ya Plastics in Lake City. The $70,000 grant is part of the foundation’s ongoing grant program throughout South Carolina that is benefiting projects addressing issues such as childhood and community healthcare, free medical clinics, mental health, nursing, obesity and healthcare research.

Kaye Allen, executive director of Mercy Medicine Clinic in Florence, said she is gratified at just how much the Lake City Free Medical Clinic has accomplished in the short time it has been in operation.

“It’s no coincidence,” she emphasized. “God’s guidance has been at work on this project since before its inception and has steered it toward becoming the successful medical facility that it is today.”

Archie Kennedy, office manager of Lake City Free Medical Clinic, said he is grateful for this financial blessing, especially in terms of how it’s going to help the many people that the clinic serves.

“The Lake City Free Medical Clinic has been designed to provide much needed medical care to the indigent and working poor of southern Florence County, as well as neighboring Williamsburg County,” he said. “This funding will make it possible for us to continue this life-saving mission that we strive to fulfill every day.”

Lake City Free Medical Clinic, which first opened its doors on January 7, is a spin-off of Mercy Medicine Clinic in Florence. Both serve a dual role of nurturing body and spirit that stems from a talented team of volunteer physicians and nurses, which is further bolstered by a firm foundation of Christian faith.

The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, the mission of which is to promote better health among South Carolinians, has provided more than $15 million in grants since its first award in 2003.