Support Our Student Writers: Donate to the Ginny Padgett Award for Excellence in Writing

Established in 2024, The Ginny Padgett Award for Excellence in Writing is presented to student writers through The Petigru Review  by the South Carolina Writers Association in honor of the late Virginia Linn (Ginny) Wessinger Padgett, a South Carolina native, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, a former SCWA president and an accomplished storyteller. The award honors Ginny’s love for writing and her dedication to education.

Donations to this award go to support prizes awarded to student writers submitting through The Petigru Review.

ABOUT GINNY PADGETT:

Virginia Linn Wessinger Padgett was born Sept. 5, 1953, in Columbia, South Carolina. She passed away on Sept. 11, 2023.

Ginny grew up in Chapin, South Carolina, and attended Chapin High School and later, received a BA in journalism from the University of South Carolina. She and Wade Hampton Padgett III were married on June 14, 1975, and moved to Savannah, Georgia, where she worked in the advertising/public relations field at WSAV-TV and gave private piano lessons. The Padgetts lived and raised their family in Columbia, Charlotte and finally back in Columbia, their forever home.

She was a cheerleader, beauty queen, scholar, classical pianist, writer, poet and top-notch bridge player. She also led the Columbia II Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association for a time. Her most valuable talents were in the ability to light up a room with positive energy, to relate and connect with anyone, and empathetically serve the needs of others. Ginny also took any opportunity to gather loved ones and celebrate life’s moments with a glass of Prosecco. Simply, she genuinely loved people and her life was evident they loved her back. Her warm smile, compassionate heart, and zest for life will be dearly missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Ginny’s presence was also marked, but not defined by, an intense battle with the physical limitations of Friedreich’s ataxia. She demonstrated unrelenting resilience, courage and grace in trying to beat her condition every day. Through all of this, she found a way to be active; riding horses, swimming and driving her car. Her competitive spirit and desire to beat the odds were an inspiration to all who knew her. 

Ginny is survived by her children Cullen Padgett (Elizabeth) and Hampton Padgett (Christine), as well as granddaughters Layla and Airlie Padgett, mother Edith R Wessinger, brother Franklin Wessinger (Leslie) and sister Janet W. Tapp (Allen), nephew Blake Wessinger and niece Caroline Tapp. She was predeceased by her husband, Wade H. Padgett III and her father, James F. Wessinger Jr.

When submitting through this form, please note in the COMMENTS section that your donation should go to the Ginny Padgett Award fund.

We appreciate your support of SCWA and especially of our aspiring student writers.