photo by: Eric Ayres

Officials from the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra present $8,480 to the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley on Tuesday. The donation represents proceeds from a benefit concert held earlier this month for local victims of the devastating June floods. From left are Laura Rauch, director of development for the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra; Staci Stephen, executive director of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley; and Sumner Riddick, interim executive director of the symphony.

A benefit concert this month by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra was deemed a great success, and proceeds from the performance are expected to go a long way in the ongoing effort to help victims of the June floods with ongoing relief and recovery efforts.

On Tuesday, officials from the WSO presented a check in the amount of $8,480 to the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. The donation represented proceeds from the July 10 concert and will go toward the United Way’s Flood Relief Fund.

Sadie Varlas, marketing and communications manager for the WSO, said the community truly came out and showed its support during the concert at Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church. The event included performances by members of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra, the WSO Community Choir, local string teachers and local rock band Company Caravan.

“It was very well attended,” Varlas said. “It was standing room only. We were thrilled to have that much of a turnout”

Varlas noted that the WSO’s tagline is “Your Community in Concert,” a mantra which certainly rang true during the benefit show that was orchestrated following the disastrous floods.

“We felt that it was vitally important for us to do something, to band together with our community and support our community in a time of need,” Varlas said. “We were really happy to be able to provide an opportunity not only to raise money but also to give a free concert to help people heal through music.”

Staci Stephen, executive director of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, said the concert also honored the victims who were lost in the June 14 flood, which claimed nine people, destroyed scores of homes and left a path of destruction along Little Wheeling Creek.

“We’re so grateful to the Wheeling Symphony — this event was amazing,” Stephen said. “We all were able to attend and to enjoy the beautiful music. This donation will go a long way in helping us with long-term flood relief.”

When the flood first happened, the United Way jumped into action by helping provide hotel stays to displaced residents. As needs now turn to long-term relief, the United Way is working with the Ohio County Commissioners, with Director Lou Vargo and Deputy Director Tony Campbell of Wheeling-Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and other skilled workers on the front lines of the recovery efforts.

“We’re just trying to meet everyone’s needs,” Stephen said. “We’re getting case managers trained so they can go out, talk with the flood victims, see what their needs are and get the needs assessments done.”

Stephen said they are working with Ohio County officials to secure a building where appliances, furniture and building supplies can be stored so they are on hand for displaced families when they are ready to take the next steps in rebuilding their lives.

The community can still help flood victims by donating to the United Way’s Flood Relief Fund, Stephen noted.

“We have information about the Flood Relief Fund on our website,” she said, adding that donations can be sent directly to the agency, as well. “They can send a check to 1307 Chapline St., and every single penny that we’re bringing in for flood relief, we have that in a separate fund that is going back out to those flood victims.”