W.Va. Benefactors ‘Keep The Ball Rolling’ In Public Schools

WHEELING - The "Keep The Ball Rolling" philanthropic tour bounced into Ohio County and Wheeling Park High School on Wednesday, providing local public schools with $1,500 checks to help provide for students’ needs.

Sometimes a kid just wants to be a kid and ride their bike to school, but they don't have one. They also may be hungry, or in need of clothes. Shawn Ball, owner of L&S Toyota in Beckley, saw the need among the youth and decided the best way was to donate funds directly to public schools so they can directly help students with life difficulties.

He later partnered with Marshall University President Brad Smith's "Wing 2 Wing Foundation" and the Pack Family Foundation operated by West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack and his wife Lisa to form the "Keep The Ball Rolling" initiative — which now provides $1,500 to every public school in the state.

The money can be used to provide students with essential items as food, clothing, shoes, coats and hygiene products — or maybe a bike — to help improve school attendance.

Ball and the Packs came to Wheeling Park High School on Wednesday to speak about their efforts, and to hear about how the schools are utilizing the donated money.

"It's all about helping kids," Ball said. "If you pay attention to the surroundings in the community, you will see a lot of need. I really wanted to make an easier way for people to give. Sometimes they don't know how.

"Giving aid directly to a school makes people feel that their money isn't being wasted, or it's a scam. They know exactly where their money is going."

The fact that his efforts are having a positive impact across the state makes him feel "great."

"That was my goal for years. I wanted to get it statewide," Ball continued. "I wanted to be able to give enough money to impact each school. We brought in the Wing 2 Wing Foundation and the Pack Family Foundation, and now we're able to give each school $1,500 — which seemed to be a good amount.

"Every public school in West Virginia gets this money."

Pack said he has a daughter-in-law who is a fourth-grade teacher in southern West Virginia, and she often pays for items for students "out of her own pocket."

"When Shawn told me about this a few years ago, it stole my heart," he said. "You hear about the different things teachers have to buy for their kids. It might be trousers, some tennis shoes or some hygiene things. It really touches you.

"It's not only a way to help our students, but it's a way to help our teachers help our community school folks some extra funds just to meet the needs of the kids. If the kids aren't dressed right or they are hungry they are not going to learn. There is no funding for these things. That's when the private sector has to step in and help."

Marleah Donahue, Community In Schools site director at Elm Grove Elementary, told of the program she started in an effort to curb absenteeism at the school. It was discovered that 50% of absences were attributed to students living in nearby housing developments.

The school began working with the Wheeling Housing Authority to create a program through which students and their families meet at the Exley Center at Hil-Dar each morning to eat breakfast and play games before leaving as a group to head to school.

In the dinner, the same group returned for dinner, more games and to make crafts together.

"It was really awesome to see the relationships build, not just between families but within the family," Donahue said. "That is a key concern of the program."

She remembers one youngster coming to her and telling her, "It's been so long since I had dinner with my mommy."

Heather Weekley, CIS site director at Warwood Middle School, took notice that the school was situated in a neighborhood where students could easily ride bikes to school. She wondered if providing them bikes and allowing them to ride to school would improve attendance.

Weekley made contact with Kevin Truex, a volunteer at the Free Bike Depot in downtown Wheeling, who has provided 18 bikes so far to students at the school. The students also receive helmets. She reported there are 186 students enrolled at the school.

Unique Murphy, CIS site director at Bridge Street Middle School, had a similar idea for riding bikes to school and has been coordinating with Weekley. In her program, students don't just ride to school each day but also take a group ride once a month with a "guest rider."

There are about 250 students at the school, and 95 are participating in the program, according to Murphy. She reports the majority live in an area where they could ride a bus, and one girl rides her bike two miles to school.