Former Ohio County Sheriff Tom Burgoyne Honored With Tree at Samaritan House in Wheeling
Red maple symbolizes generosity, longevity and adaptability
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WHEELING -- A longtime supporter of the local community was honored with an enduring sign of his values and legacy at the Samaritan House — a red maple tree, emblematic of the impact Tom Burgoyne has on his community.
Burgoyne was named in April as the Youth Services System's 2021 Good Samaritan, citing his laundry list of good deeds and efforts to support the community, ranging from numerous youth programs, heading the local drug task force, and serving as Ohio County Sheriff from 2000 to 2008.
Burgoyne said that, like the tree, he was fortunate to endure to see long-term change brought to the area, particularly with regards to YSS.
"When I first got involved with this organization over 30 years ago, they had a hard time meeting payroll. Now they have over 200 employees and do so many things, not only in Wheeling but in the northern five counties," he said. "They're out there trying to help those who can't, or won't, help themselves.
"It's without organizations like this that we stumble and fall, and we haven't stumbled or fell here. Our public service people here do a great job, and youth services in other places -- like the Coalition for the Homeless -- they're always out looking to help those who can't help themselves."
Ron Klug, who owns Klug's Greenhouse, slightly miscalculated the size of the tree, but felt it was fitting to Burgoyne's nature in numerous ways.
"I thought it would be about this high," Klug said, gesturing around shoulder-height.
"As you can see, it's about 16 feet high. It's very fitting for Tom. ... This tree is huge; Tom has had a huge impact on his community.
"The red maple symbolizes adaptability, and Tom has certainly adapted to this community and put his roots down, like this tree is going to. It also symbolizes generosity; Tom has been generous with his time. ... About 2005, Tom told me about the SWEAT program, an effort to unite law enforcement and teenagers who might be going the wrong way. They cut grass -- Tom, deputies, and teenagers -- for the elderly people in the area. I think this symbolizes what Tom has tried to do."
Klug added that the maple also symbolizes longevity -- "And look at Tom and I, we're still here!"
"They say it's also a sign of spirits," Burgoyne added, closing his remarks. "Sometime in the future, I think I'm going to be hanging out in that tree. Nobody cut it down, because I think I'm going to be up there!"
Burgoyne, a transplant from Boston decades ago, said that he had also been invited back to his hometown later this month, to be honored by the Red Sox for his lifetime of service.
"Because of my work with Youth Services, I have the privilege of being honored at the Boston Red Sox/Yankees game on July 24 in a couple weeks, as the 'hometown hero.' I guess it's because of part of the work that I did in Boston on the Columbian drug squad … and some of the work that I did here in Wheeling."
Burgoyne said he had recently received a phone call from an anonymous donor who pledged to donate $100,000 in his name to Youth Services System, thanks to the tireless work of the workers there, including CEO John Moses.
"He said, guess how much money it was going to be," Burgoyne said of the donor's phone call.
"I figured it would be more than a thousand, otherwise he wouldn't be calling me. So I said, ten thousand? He said, 'How about a hundred thousand?' I said, with a tear coming down my eye, that would be just amazing."