The Ohio Valley loves to celebrate the successes of its sons and daughters, particularly when they go on to earn acclaim at the national level.
Wheeling's C.J. Goodwin is a perfect example. A star athlete at The Linsly School, he has spent the past seven seasons in the NFL, and currently is a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Many folks in this region have followed him from his high school and college days to the biggest of the big stages in the NFL, when he played in Super Bowl LI for the Atlanta Falcons.
During all this time, Goodwin never forgot his roots in East Wheeling and the values he learned from his family, his neighbors and also those who helped him along the way. He returns to the Ohio Valley each summer to host sports camps for youngsters. He also started a foundation in honor of his father, the late Perry Galloway Jr., in an effort to give back.
That effort through the PeGa Foundation soon could be paying dividends for local youth, as Goodwin this month received approval from the Wheeling Planning Commission to create a new family center at 2198 National Road in Elm Grove.
"My family foundation just bought this building, and we want to turn it into kind of a community center," Goodwin said. "We just bought 10 high-tech computers. Gaming is huge right now -- video game playing and computer game playing. We want to do a membership program where kids can come in. There's really nothing like this in the valley -- a safe place you can go to play video games."
But the planned center won't be all fun and games, Goodwin said. Mentors will be on hand to work with youngsters, and there also will be life classes that help prepare children for the future.
"Every second Sunday of the month, we want to do a non-profit event where kids can come in and learn financial literacy and other concepts that I didn't learn growing up," Goodwin said.
These are excellent ideas. Goodwin is to be commended not only for giving back to his community, but most importantly for finding ways to help that go beyond making a personal appearance at a sports camp. These programs will make a meaningful difference in the lives of local kids.
That's real impact.