Published: July 04, 2009 11:13 pm      

Relationship keeps Golden Knights coming back

For the past three years, those who attended the Saturday night concert during the annual Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA’s Friends of Coal Auto Fair, enjoyed thrilling aerial displays by members of the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.

Those in the crowd for this year’s show, featuring former Alabama frontman Randy Owen with Abby Abbondanza and local favorite Taylor Made, will once again be awed by the Golden Knights as they will fall from the sky just prior to the show.

“It’s a great addition and they just put on such a great show,” Y CEO Jim Gilchrist said.

It is the special friendship with Eastern Arrow Corp. owner Jay R. Wardwell that first brought the Golden Knights to the auto fair and the continuation of that relationship as well as a newer one with the Friends of Coal that keeps the team coming back.

“We’re there because of Jay R., Friends of Coal and (FOC president) Warren Hylton,” U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Bryan Schnell said, adding he believed the FOC and the Army share a similar mission in serving the public. “They asked if we could come up there and jump and represent the American soldier to the public, and I think there’s not a better place to do it.”

Wardwell’s special relationship with the Golden Knights is a result of Eastern Arrow’s support of the armed forces.

The company, operated by Wardwell and his siblings Michael and Ann, is also a great supporter of West Virginia’s law enforcement agencies.

That support, Wardwell says, has created a partnership beneficial to both sides.

“When we find something that means something to any of us, we bring it to each other’s attention and come together as a unit to help,” he said.

Wardwell says he believes it is important to support those entities since they are unwavering in their support for the citizens of both West Virginia and the United States.

“These are people who are underpaid to begin with and they put their lives on the line for people they don’t even know every single day,” he said. “They’re doing everything I don’t want my own children to have to do. I think it would be wonderful if they (children) did serve, but because of our military and law enforcement, my children can do whatever they want to do in life.”

Schnell said it is not only the support of the Friends of Coal, but also that of the southern West Virginia, that keeps members of the Golden Knights looking forward to their return trips to Beckley.

“I’ve been on the team for seven years and have traveled all over and have never enjoyed anywhere more,” he said, adding there is “no better hospitality” at any other stop. “It’s an honor to go there every year.”

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The auto fair is scheduled for July 17-19 at the Y’s Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex.

Admission to the auto fair is free and tickets for the Randy Owen concert are available at Marquee Cinemas in West Virginia and Wytheville, Va.

Reserved seat tickets are $40 and general admission lawn tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the gate. Children under 6 will be admitted for free.

Additional information about the fair, including schedules, sponsorship information, directions and general rules, is available at www.friendsofcoalautofair.com.

— E-mail: mjames@register-herald.com