Boys Day Out founders honored for 20 years of serving the community

For the last 20 years, Thomas and Freida Ocean have been creating a safe space for young boys in Marlboro County to have fun, learn, and meet mentors in the Marlboro County community.

The first Boys’ Day Out started in a church community room where the boys who were in attendance played video games and were able to make lifelong connections. Fast forward 20 years, many of the boys who were there from day one are successful men who come back to Marlboro County every September to be mentors to boys who are sitting in the same chairs they once sat in.

Hundreds of young boys have participated in the annual event and have gone on to graduate from college, start businesses, and make a difference in the world.

Saturday, the state of South Carolina, Marlboro County and the city of Bennettsville honored the Oceans for their dedication to hosting this event for boys in the area.

Boys’ Day Out starts with a bus picking up boys from around the county. When the boys arrive at Camp Pine Hill, they’re greeted with breakfast and snacks. Everything is free, including the horseback rides, the swimming, the fishing, and the grilled food the boys enjoy for lunch.

For the Ocean family, organizing and having a successful event is a team effort. Thomas Ocean said without his wife, there would be no Boys’ Day Out.

“I’m going to tell you, Boys’s Day Out doesn’t happen without Freida doing what she does,” he said. “Y’all don’t ever see her, but she works hard to make sure this thing gets done.”

The impact of the program hasn’t been lost on people who participate in it and have watched it grow. Lanita Benton-Lowe wanted everyone to know how important the event is to the community, so she reached out to State representative Patricia Moore Henegan, the city of Bennettsville and Marlboro County so that the Oceans could be saluted for their service to the community.

Following a keynote speech from Arthur Fennell, a Marlboro County native and the creator of the Country Style cook-off that’s held in Blenheim annually, the Oceans were presented with the proclamations.

The city of Bennettsville declared September 21, 2024, Thomas and Frieda Ocean Day in the city of Bennettsville, “for their dedication and lasting impact to the boys of the community.”

Marlboro County administration, Wilson “Tony” Clyburn, said he has never seen an event like Boys’ Day Out in any of the other counties he’s been in. “This is something that is really unheard of,” he said before presenting the letter on behalf of Marlboro County.

“We would like to show our gratitude for the work you’ve done to mentor and guide young men in our community. Boys Day Out has provided a safe, wholesome, and fun environment for boys from all walks of life across Marlboro County. And because of your unwavering and lifelong commitment to the community, Boys’ Day Out has helped nurture thousands of young men in ways that are unequal…On behalf of Marlboro County, thank you.”

Ronald Henegan presented the resolution from the state on behalf of Representative Henegan.

“Congratulations to Thomas and Freida Ocean on their 20th anniversary of Boys’ Day Out, which has served as a beacon of hope and inspiration.Whereas the success of Boys’ Day Out is a direct result of the Oceans’ universal commitment to the betterment of this community,” he read.