Major fundraiser for YMCA
By Nick Brockman
Register-Herald Reporter
BECKLEY — For the past eight summers, the YMCA of Southern West Virginia has hosted one of the biggest and most rapidly growing events in the state, but without sponsors the success wouldn’t be possible.
This year’s Friends of Coal Auto Fair, to be held July 15-17, stands to be the best thus far, thanks to the commitment of many local businesses and organizations, said YMCA chief executive officer Jay Rist.
“Every sponsor that comes on board does their part to support the community,” he said. “If you think about it, the Friends of Coal Auto Fair is probably the single-largest community-supported event in southern West Virginia.
“The sponsors, they provide us with the opportunity to bring in the best entertainment that we can possibly get to bring to southern West Virginia for people to enjoy three days of family fun.”
Rist said support from individuals like Jack Fairchild Jr., vice president of sales for Fairchild International, is the driving force behind the event.
“At a time when it was just a concept, these guys got involved and really helped starting to build the show to what it is today,” Rist said. “Without them, there wouldn’t be a Friends of Coal Auto Fair.”
Fairchild worked to make Friends of Coal the fair’s title sponsor after the event began as the Whitewater Run Car Show.
Since then, the auto fair has skyrocketed in both success and attendance.
“The mining industry, along with other businesses, has really poured its support into this great event to help raise money to keep that complex going and do what it takes each year to keep the gates open,” Fairchild said.
With Friends of Coal as the title sponsor, many mining businesses provide sponsorship because the event shines a light on the industry as well as the YMCA’s cause.
“We strongly support the YMCA and believe in their efforts for improving the community and improving family life and giving the children of the area a safe place to congregate, play and learn,” said Stewart Myers, director of high wall miner operations for Bucyrus. “Obviously, we support the Friends of Coal and try to improve the industry and our image here in West Virginia.”
Jim Justice, owner of The Greenbrier and CEO of Justice Companies, said he enjoys supporting the event because of his long-standing relationship with the YMCA, as well as the fair’s great cause.
“I go way back; I was on the Y board a long time ago,” Justice said. “Bob Bolen Sr. running the Y, I just loved him to death. I just thought the world of him.
“The Friends of Coal doing the event, it’s just a great event for Beckley and the Friends of Coal and surely the YMCA. We want to be a part of it.”
Bruce Vest, vice president of Pritchard Mining, said his business sponsors the Friends of Coal Auto Fair because it supports local youth and families.
Support from sponsors also allows the Y to secure fun activities to increase attendance and reduce cost, Vest added.
“By doing that, it helps underwrite it so that there can be some good entertainment,” he said. “It helps with the car show and makes it more affordable for others to attend.”
Essentially, a donation to the YMCA is a direct investment in the community, Rist said.
“What they’re doing is basically providing us with support necessary not only to provide a good time for this three-day event, but it also helps the Y accomplish its mission to positively affect the lives of children of southern West Virginia,” he said. “Obviously, our three areas of focus are youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. We’re trying to serve these different facets, and I think they support what we’re doing. That’s why they’re constantly involved in an organization like the YMCA.”
Rist said he wished to thank all of the sponsors, of all levels of contribution, that have committed thus far, and he added the Friends of Coal Auto Fair will accept sponsors until the date of the show.
For more information, visit www.friendsofcoalautofair.com.
— E-mail: nbrockman@register-herald.com