As much as his hands and feet, Easley High School defensive back Jonathan Isham depends on his eyes to make a play on the football field. He's so good at his position, he was selected to the North roster for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl in December.

Two days before the annual high school football all-star game, Isham had an "eye-opening" experience in the aisles of a Target store in Myrtle Beach. Isham was one of 86 players from across the state helping 44 local elementary school students during a $150 per-child shopping spree sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric and South Carolina's other Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.

"It was great to be able to come out and help kids in the community," says Isham. "I loved seeing how excited they were, just to be able to look at all the toys and pick out what they wanted."

The shopping spree wasn't the only thing that made game week special. The night before the bowl game, a line crew from Horry Electric set up hands-on demonstrations on the field so the players could explore careers as cooperative lineworkers. Players put on personal protective equipment and took turns using various lineworker tools.

In addition to Isham, area players participating in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl were Elijiah Huggins (Powdersville High School), Logan Smith (Liberty High School), Tyler Morgan (Wren High School), Cody Williams (Pendleton High School) Abijah Webb (Pendleton High School), Spencer Corn (Daniel High School), Jackson Lanier (Blue Ridge High School), and Bruce Brown (Daniel High School).