Published: November 03, 2009 10:15 pm      

Spirit of Beckley

Breakfast draws a large crowd of volunteers

Volunteers filed into Black Knight Country Club early Tuesday for breakfast, fellowship and an opportunity to help the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA and the Spirit of Beckley annual award.

Printed cards in alphabetical order were displayed on a huge table, depicting past contributors to the YMCA.

Each participant chose five such cards, setting in motion the annual fundraiser, and the YMCA’s chief executive officer, Jim Gilchrist, hailed the event as a major success.

“They’re looking for people they know,” Gilchrist said as locals examined the donor cards.

“That’s why they’re here early to pick up the ones that they know. A lot of them are contributors in the past and members of the YMCA. All the proceeds go to the YMCA for kids programs, for scholarships and supplementary programs.”

And it’s a prelude to the Dec. 7 banquet honoring the 23rd recipient of the Spirit of Beckley award, Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh.

Traditionally, the honoree doesn’t show for the breakfast, and Pugh was no exception.

“Every time I talk to the one who is chosen, it’s amazing because it’s kind of a Who’s Who in the city, and they say, ‘I can’t believe I was picked. It’s a great honor,’” Gilchrist said.

Pugh was out of town anyway, but in his absence, the volunteers appeared to enjoy themselves as they pored over the list of donor cards.

“I tried to pick the easy ones,” acknowledged Nancy Kissinger, one of three co-chairs for the Spirit of Beckley event.

In a sense, she agreed, the event is akin to picking candidates in a voting booth.

“And it’s a long, long ballot,” she said. “The earlier you get here, the better it is.”

Besides the merriment, Kissinger said, the breakfast allows locals an opportunity to support the YMCA and its community programs.

“It serves a lot of youth in our area,” she said.

“It provides scholarships, supports youth programs that help all the youth of our community. It’s a very worthwhile fundraiser that does a lot for our community.”

Bill File, another co-chair, agreed the event not only brought local residents together for a sumptuous breakfast but afforded them the chance to give the YMCA a boost.

“The whole community gets out and gets involved,” he said.

“And it’s for a good cause. As you know, a lot of people have difficulty helping themselves. This makes scholarships available to children whose parents can’t afford to join the Y. You go through and see names that you know have been at dinners in the past year and have been contributors. You try to pick cards for everybody in the community to give everybody an opportunity. A lot of people don’t realize that they’re going to be contacted. That’s what is great. We bring in new volunteers every year, new contributors, which is what makes this a great success.”

Gilchrist envisions a turnout of between 500 and 600 when Pugh is honored at a 7 p.m. dinner Dec. 7 at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. A reception is set for an hour earlier.

“We’ll be picking out some things,” Gilchrist said. “A lot of surprises.”

Could one of those surprises have an Alabama flavor to it, given Pugh’s unwavering affection for his alma mater and its third-ranked Crimson Tide football team?

Gilchrist refused to tip his hand on that subject, but promised “a very successful” dinner honoring the mayor.

“It’s a tribute to the mayor ...,” he said. “It’s a tribute to what he’s done for the community. That speaks volumes about Emmett. We’re very lucky to have him.”

For more details on the dinner and ticket information, Gilchrist and his staff may be reached at 304-252-0715.

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com