 Happy anniversary to the Columbia Empowerment Zone. For ten years now, C-E-Z Inc. has worked to efficiently, effectively, and enthusiastically to create and support economic development opportunities in the city of Columbia. It actually started as the Empowerment Zone with Sumter many years ago, and from there, they have just blossomed. I really think of the Columbia Empowerment Zone Inc. as one of our foremost development corporations that we look to for the development of our city. Particularly a lot of that activity that has occurred in North Columbia, you can contribute to their work. With all of the efforts of that board, the staff, their work with the city staff, they have done miraculous things with a little. We were fortunate enough to receive the grant from C-E-Z when we were buying the property and looking at renovating the building. So it was an integral part for us to be able, as a small business, to be able to do something like buy this property and renovate the building for our offices. And I think you see it around what's just happening on North Main right now. That small amounts of money given to help small businesses helps grow a neighborhood and helps grow areas in Columbia. So that's been, I think, instrumental in what's happened down in the North Main corridor. C-E-Z Inc. has been in the forefront in helping with our economic development throughout the city. They have been instrumental in providing small business loans. They've helped to make it different where other resources have not been available. And that's one of the primary purposes of it is to fill those funding gaps and fill those development gaps. I'd really love to thank the Columbia Empowerment Zone. I mean, it's a great, great project. They work on tons of things around Columbia. As I've met with the group and talked to most of the people, it's just phenomenal what they can get accomplished and what they do to help the community. Didn't anticipate some of the expenses that came with opening a place like this. You run into areas where there are just things that you don't think about, even if you've got a great business plan. We are incredibly grateful for that loan from C-E-Z. It just made the difference for us in getting over that hump just to get open. It is certainly an empowering venture to allow folk in our communities to be empowered financially with resources that might help expand the city of ours. The funds to a small business, which ENDA is and Candidly we are too, funds like that are incredibly valuable, probably more so than people realize. I'd like to say thank you for what you have done for us personally but also what you're doing in the area. It's incredibly impactful and don't stop doing it. It was a unique opportunity for us to leverage federal dollars into helping spin off everything from giving business loans out to being able to help with facade grants. It was a great impact in those zones where we really needed some extra help. Not only are they bringing projects to the city of Columbia, but they're reinvesting in the community and they've been sustainable. The one and only in the Empowerment Zone without the country to sustain after the initial 10 years. Collaborative partnerships that were necessary for the growth of our company and the Columbia Empowerment Zone is a critical part of that. Being able to partner with the Empowerment Zone for the funding we needed to secure the building which afforded us the opportunity to hire people from right here in the community and that hiring extend for many, many years and quite honestly, I don't know if we would have realized the success that we've had over the past 28 years had it not been for the partnership with the Empowerment Zone. It has done wonderful projects all over the city of Columbia that has benefited the economic development of the city plus the housing and other things that the Empowerment Zone has tackled over their 10 years. So many CEs across the country watch their Empowerment Zones go away. With the establishment of CEC Inc. a decade ago we were able here in Columbia to have an effective tool to addressing not just blight in our community but to accelerate the development of some of our neighborhoods that wanted it for so long. All up and down the North Main Corridor, Farrow Road, downtown the CEC Inc. has been creative in helping us develop solutions to rehabilitating old buildings, to building new construction, to building new community development facilities. It's been an incredible asset led by not just a fantastic professional team but a wonderful independent board of directors as well. Thank you so much to CEC for helping us obtain a building right across from Richland Hospital so we can service the cancer patients here in South Carolina. We could not have made it this far without you. Congratulations on your 10 years. Congrats guys. Way to go Felicia. Happy 10 year anniversary Columbia Empowerment Zone. Happy 10 year anniversary Columbia Empowerment Zone Inc. Happy anniversary. Thank you for what you've done for us and so many others but more importantly thank you for what you've done for this community. Happy 10 year anniversary Columbia Empowerment Zone Inc. Happy 10 year anniversary CEC Inc.