HILTON HEAD -- USCB was awarded the Peach Belt Conference Connecting Communities Award on Tuesday night at the league's annual dinner in Hilton Head. The award is presented annually to the PBC member institution who embraces the NCAA Division II core value of community engagement; bringing the institution and local community together.

In the spring of 2025, Beaufort's  Student-Athlete Advisory Committee spearheaded an initiative to support the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport's Flybrary. The Flybrary Project was started by the airport to provide free books to children who are departing on flights. The USC Beaufort SAAC held collection events on campus to provide books to the Flybrary, the first during a softball game on Feb. 13th and then at a basketball doubleheader on Feb. 26th.

These two collection events brought the community to USCB and contributed to a donation that began with the student-athletes themselves. In all, 556 children's books were donated and used to resupply the Flybrary

The program will continue this fall when USCB athletes will distribute books in person at the airport from Sept. 6th through the 8th.

The Connecting Communities award is the first for USCB.