BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Rotary Club of Beckley was joined by five local food pantries Tuesday to award them each $2,400.
The annual Dave Langford Food Drive is an annual event honoring former club member David Langford and the efforts he made throughout the community. The club has been hosting the drive at the Historic Black Knight in his name since 2014, along with the support from AEP and the Beckley Area Foundation.
The food pantries being awarded at this year’s event included the Beckley Dream Center, The Carpenter’s Corner (“Fishes and Loaves”), Heart of God Ministries, Helping Hands, and the Salvation Army.
“Our club is all about selfless service,” says Community Service Chair for the club, Carol McCarthy. “Our members put their finances into it, the community helps us with this, Dave Langford was very well represented in the chamber. If we don’t do it, who will?”
The club is also celebrating 100 years of service this year. To help celebrate this achievement, they have been holding a number of community service projects themed around 100.
An extension of the club and an after-hours club geared toward younger Rotarians, Rotary After Hours helped out with the service projects.
One of the projects was a prom dress and suit drive where they were able to raise over 100 prom attire and accessories for local high schools. The attire will go to the students who otherwise would not get to attend prom due to lack of financial support.
It’s just one of the ways the club feels good about being able to help the community around them.
“To have these service projects as a Rotarian, I think that it’s very important to help our community, and when we see an organization or a group in need, we get to be the boots on the ground to make that happen,” Chair-Elect for Rotary After Hours, Kelly Elkins says.
The club plans to hold a huge celebration for its 100th anniversary on September 24 at the Mariot Service Center at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
You can find out more about purchasing tickets for the event from the Rotary Club’s website.
