(This is an appeal about something in St. Marys that is important to me. I hope you are not offended by my suggestion.)
Recently, I have enjoyed sharing memories of St. Marys and a time gone by on Facebook. With friends and acquaintances, I’ve reminisced about growing up in a community that was, to my childhood mind, the perfect place to live.
St. Marys, indeed all of Pleasants County, has been blessed throughout the years with wonderful people and tremendous resources. Our little FB group recently determined that in the late 50s/early 60s, St. Marys boasted: 2 movie theaters, 3 department stores, 4 hardware stores, 3 car dealerships, 2 dress shops, 2 cobblers, 2 jewelry stores, 4-5 main street eateries, 2 drugstores with soda fountains, 2 dry cleaners, 2-3 beauty salons, 2-3 barber shops, and 7-8 grocers. That’s impressive! When someone asked what happened, the sad reply was “Progress”.
Yes, progress has changed St. Marys. Despite the fact that it is no longer the town of my childhood, it still has many wonderful resources. And one of those is the Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County.
Not many communities this size can boast of having a Boys & Girls Club – let alone one that has produced SIX State Youths of the Year. I spent five years with this wonderful organization and personally witnessed the tremendous impact that it has on local youth. For some, it means help with homework after school. For others, it means not being home alone before and after school. During the days of my childhood, it might have been acceptable and safe to be left to your own devices after school. Not so today – not even in Pleasants County, West Virginia.
Pleasants County has always supported its youth, and the Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County should be part of that support. Bill Hanlin, the man so many of us know as “Coach”, understands and appreciates the Club; he has supported and worked tirelessly for the organization for years. The Facebook page that we “senior citizens” visit to reminisce about our own glory days was created by a young woman who was one of my “Club kids”. I don’t know what Morgan’s intent was when she started the page, but we all thank her for it; we are having a blast.
And just as we cherish the nostalgia of St. Marys, today’s youth should be creating their own memories right now. The Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County can help them do that. But it needs our support; it cannot serve Pleasants County’s youth on club dues alone.
St. Marys may no longer be the same community we grew up in, but it should be the best community we can give the children living there today. Even if you no longer live in St. Marys, remember what the community meant to you as a child and how that shaped the person you are today. Help the Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County provide part of what we enjoyed as children. Please consider contributing to this wonderful organization in that wonderful community that we called home. Kids like Morgan will thank you for it.
NOTE: If you want to make a tax-deductible donation to the Club, please send your check to:
Boys & Girls Club of Pleasants County
605 Cherry Street
St. Marys, WV 26170
2 comments:
Yes, we're lucky to have Boys and Girls Club here! Maybe some of our alumni classes could do a fund drive/ fundraiser for them! Memorial weekend would be a perfect time to hold a SMHS Alumni fundraiser. What do you think?
I've sent my blog to some of the Club employees. I don't know if we will be in St. Marys that weekend -- depends on my work here. I think that would be an ideal time though to hold a fundraiser. Will let you know what I find out from the director there.
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