North and South Carolina PWIPM Chapters Raise $7,000 for Safe House Project

The North Carolina and South Carolina Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) chapters hosted Melodies that Matter: Pest Control Pop Star Edition fundraiser, raising $6,937.65 to support Safe House Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending child trafficking.

North and South Carolina Associations Raise $7,000 for Safe House Project
Left: Suzanne VanDerveer, Melanie Matthews, Maria Miller, Julie Tesh-Clark and Donna Gross; right: Patrick Thompson, Harper Thompson, and NPMA’s Brittani Crawley, Liz Grier and Ellie Sanders;
North Carolina Pest Management Association
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina and South Carolina Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) chapters hosted their first-ever "Melodies that Matter: Pest Control Pop Star Edition FUNdraiser", raising $6,937.65 in support of Safe House Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending child trafficking.

Held on Aug. 1 during the 2025 Carolinas/Mid-Atlantic Summer Conference in Savannah, Ga., the event brought together industry professionals for an evening of karaoke, camaraderie and philanthropy. Participants could make donations for the chance to sing, or to avoid taking the stage, with all proceeds benefiting Safe House Project.

One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the inaugural Pest Control Pop Star Award to Harper Thompson, daughter of Patrick Thompson, North Carolina Pest Management Association Secretary/Treasurer and Pest Management Systems, Inc. Strategy & Operations Officer.

This marks the second consecutive year that both chapters raised funds to support Safe House Project through an event at the Carolinas/Mid-Atlantic Summer Conference.

Founded in 2017, Safe House Project works to eradicate child trafficking by building and supporting safe houses across the U.S., providing more than 227,000 safe nights for survivors each year.

The success of Melodies that Matter was made possible thanks to the generosity of 18 sponsoring companies including Crawlspace Depot, Forshaw, Pest & Termite Consultants, Canady’s Termite & Pest Control, Momentum Marketing, PWIPM SC, North Carolina Pest Management Association, South Carolina Pest Control Association, Corteva, Envu, Stephenson Pest Control, Borden Pest Control, Pirates Pest & Termite Control, MGK, Ehrlich, Modern Exterminating, Rid-A-Bug Exterminating, and Pest Management Systems, Inc. (PMi).

The event planning committee included Donna Gross (SC Chair), Melanie Matthews, Suzanne VanDerveer, Mary Elizabeth Fairfax, Maria Miller (NC Chair), Julie Tesh, and Laura Gergle.