MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Waccamaw Community Foundation has established the Waccamaw Legacy Award, the Foundation’s highest honor recognizing individuals whose lifetime of leadership, stewardship and service has created an enduring impact on the people and communities of the Waccamaw Region.
The Foundation named Chief Harold “Buster” Hatcher of the Waccamaw Indian People as the award’s inaugural recipient. Hatcher recently concluded his service as Chief, with Cheryl Cail succeeding him in the leadership role.
The award was inspired by Hatcher himself and by a relationship that began with a simple question: What does Waccamaw mean?
“When I first came to the Foundation, I began asking about the meaning of our name,” said Mike Manuso, President and CEO of the Waccamaw Community Foundation. “Most people could point me to the Waccamaw River, but I wanted to understand the story behind the name. That search led me to Chief Hatcher.”
Hatcher willingly met with Manuso and spent several hours sharing the history of the Waccamaw Indian People and explaining the meaning and significance of the word Waccamaw.
“That conversation changed the way I understood our Foundation and the region we serve,” Mancuso said. “Chief Hatcher helped me understand that Waccamaw was more than the name of a river or a geographic region. It represented a people, a history and a tradition of stewardship. He helped us better understand the responsibility that comes with carrying the Waccamaw name.”
That understanding subsequently became part of the Foundation’s own storytelling and inspired the opening of its Waters Between podcast:
“The name Waccamaw comes from the Waccamaw Indian People, the original stewards of this land and water. The word is believed to mean both coming and going waters and between the waters — a reflection of the rivers and the tides that shape not only our geography but our way of life.”
The Foundation carries that imagery into its philosophy of philanthropy: like the waters of the Waccamaw, philanthropy can connect people and places, bridge needs and resources, and sustain communities for generations to come.
Over the years, Hatcher’s relationship with the Foundation grew beyond that first conversation. He participated in Foundation videos, shared the history and culture of the Waccamaw Indian People with broader audiences, and became a valued partner, teacher and friend to the organization.
As Foundation leaders considered how best to recognize Hatcher upon his retirement as Chief, his example inspired something larger: the creation of a permanent award recognizing people whose lives leave an enduring mark on the region.
“Chief Hatcher’s legacy made us ask a larger question: How should the Foundation recognize those rare individuals whose lives have truly strengthened this region for generations?” Manuso said. “The answer became the Waccamaw Legacy Award. It is fitting that the person who inspired its creation should forever be its first recipient.”
The Waccamaw Legacy Award will be presented at the discretion of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and is intended to be reserved for exceptional individuals whose leadership, stewardship, generosity, preservation of history and culture, or service has created a lasting legacy for the Waccamaw Region.
In establishing the award, the Foundation’s Board proclaimed that Hatcher’s “extraordinary example of leadership, stewardship and service inspired the creation of a permanent recognition that would honor individuals whose lives strengthen the Waccamaw Region through enduring impact.”
Hatcher’s selection as the inaugural recipient carries additional significance as leadership of the Waccamaw Indian People passes to Chief Cheryl Cail, who also serves as a member of the Waccamaw Community Foundation Board of Directors.
“Chief Hatcher taught us about the original stewards of this land and water,” Manuso said. “That word — stewardship — has special meaning to a community foundation. We are entrusted with resources today that are intended to strengthen communities tomorrow. Chief Hatcher has demonstrated through his life what it means to preserve something of value and pass it forward to the next generation.”
The Foundation intends the Waccamaw Legacy Award to be an enduring recognition rather than an annual award. Future recipients will be selected only when the Board determines an individual’s lifetime of service and impact reflects the extraordinary standard established by its inaugural recipient.
“Chief Hatcher did more than teach us the meaning of our name,” Manuso said. “He helped us understand something about who we are. His friendship and wisdom have become part of the Waccamaw Community Foundation’s story. There could only ever be one first recipient of this award, and we can think of no one more deserving of that distinction.”
About the Waccamaw Legacy Award
The Waccamaw Legacy Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Waccamaw Community Foundation. Established in 2026, it recognizes extraordinary individuals whose lifetime of leadership, stewardship, generosity and service has created an enduring legacy for the people and communities of the Waccamaw Region.
About Waccamaw Community Foundation
Waccamaw Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life in the Waccamaw Region by connecting people, charitable resources and community needs. Through philanthropy, partnerships and community leadership, the Foundation helps donors make a lasting difference while strengthening the organizations and communities that make the region home.