Children’s Chance is pleased to announce that Tom McGee has been chosen as our new Executive Director. Tom originally from King, North Carolina but a South Carolina native since1969, came to USC on a baseball scholarship. He played freshman basketball on the 1969-1970 USC basketball team and then worked for Frank McGuire and the USC basketball program for 4 years. After serving as an educator, Athletic Director and Department Chair in Richland-Lexington School District V, Tom started and managed the SC Office of Rural Health, Migrant Health and Primary Care for DHEC. He has also served as President and CEO of Easter Seals and Executive Director of the SC Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Tom is married, has six children and eight grandchildren, one of which continues to conquer large cell anaplastic lymphoma and welcomes the challenge of growing Children’s Chance.

“I am excited to be a part of an organization that was born here in Columbia and has such great potential. The Board is dedicated to ensuring that the families who need us get the best we can provide. Despite the difficult economic times we are facing, I believe Children’s Chance has great opportunities ahead. We continue to receive requests from all over South Carolina and our challenge is to balance the increasing needs of our families with our existing resources. I am hopeful that with continued support from our existing partners and new resources from partners who may not yet know of our outstanding work, we will be able to provide support for all of the families who need us.”

Tom McGee

To contact Tom, please either call the Children's Chance office at 803-254-5996 or email him at: tommcgee@childrenschance.org and he will be happy to correspond with you.

Samantha Higgins

Samantha with her daughter Bronson at the 7th Annual "An Evening with the Gamecocks" event

Samantha at the 2007 10th Annual Billy Mill Golf Classic benefiting Children's Chance

Samantha Higgins is the full-time Public Relations Director for Children's Chance. She graduated from The University of South Carolina with a bachelor's of arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communications with a major in Public Relations and minor in Social Work. Samantha has been with Children's Chance since January of 2004 as an intern and was then hired on part time in May of 2004. As of July 1, 2005 Samantha became the full time Public Relations Director.

About Samantha

I started Children's Chance as an intern in January of 2004. Before that I was unsure that I had chosen the right major and field of study, but positive that whatever job I took, I wanted to help people. After my first day at Children's Chance I was convinced that I picked the perfect major and knew that I wanted to begin my career doing Public Relations for a non-profit organization and only hoped that it could be for Children's Chance.

Now being with the organization for over six years, I could not be more enthusiastic to help the children we serve who are fighting cancer and their families. Being a parent of a young child myself, I really believe this only motivates me more to work toward the mission of Children's Chance and help these courageous families to the best of my ability. Not only is my position at Children's Chance a perfect way for me to utilize my public relations skills and promote such a wonderful organization, it allows me to be lucky enough to meet some of the families we serve and be inspired by these very special children who are fighting cancer.

To reach me, please contact:
803-254-5996  samanthahiggins@childrenschance.org