BAF Awards Over $425,000 in Designated Distributions

BAF President Doug Ramsden, presents a check to the City of Beckley Mayor, Rob Rappold.

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A designated fund is established by a donor to benefit a specific charity, or program for a charity. Since the first designated fund was established in 1986, BAF has been telling stories of donors and helping local organizations create new stories each year. To date, over $6.5 million dollars has been distributed from designated funds.

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The City of Beckley's annual designated distribution was $18,046, made possible by three different funds that have been designated to support their efforts:

• The Flying Eagle Economic Development Fund  was established in 2002, by Jon A. McBride, Capt. USN/NASA to stimulate or improve the economic conditions in the City of Beckley, WV.
  • Total Distributed Over Time | $104,837.92

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• The Dr. Matthew Murrill and Lucille C. Ralsten Fund  was established in 1986, to maintain  Wildwood, the home of General  Alfred Beckley, now operated by the city. The fund was started by the Doctors' Memorial Foundation in honor of Dr. and  Mrs. Ralsten. This couple bought Wildwood,  and they worked  many years on its restoration. Mrs. Ralsten was a great-granddaughter of Gen. Beckley.
  • Total Distributed Over Time | $166,836.78

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• The Mayor Chuck Shoemaker Municipal Beautification Fund  was established by friends following his death in 1988. Income is used for civic beautification projects in Beckley. The fund was created in recognition of the Mayor's successful efforts to bring beauty to downtown Beckley.
  • Total Distributed Over Time | $54,556.40

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“The City of Beckley is once again so appreciative of the foresight of those whose names identify the BAF named funds that enhance our future. This year's Ralsten, Shoemaker and Flying Eagle fund distributions total $18,046 and will be used to further the desired causes.”
— Robert Rappold | Mayor, City of Beckley

Over the next week, BAF will be diving into five more organizations (found in bold letters below) to highlight their service to the community, and which designated funds support them each year.

BAF distributed $425,677 to 64 organizations in our area from designated funds for 2022-2023. The grant awards are as follows:

• Alderson-Broadus College $1,486
• American Red Cross – Raleigh County, WV $3,054
• Animal Control and Welfare Project $2,092
• Appalachian Bible College $7,475
• AWAY $26,028
• Beckley Art Group, Inc. $2,764
• Beckley Babe Ruth League, Inc. $761
• Beckley Concert Association $10,814
• Beckley Dream Center $83
• Beckley Little League, Inc. $3,770
• Beckley Presbyterian Church $61,942
• Beckley-Stratton Middle School $623
• Black Diamond Girl Scout Council $2,129
• Bluestone Baptist Church $2,017
• Bradley-Prosperity Volunteer Fire Department $2,201
• Buckskin Council of Boy Scouts of America $2,995
• Burlington United Methodist Family Services $404
• Children’s Home Society of West Virginia $2,144
• City of Beckley $18,046
• Concord University Foundation $1,371
• Davis Stuart, Inc. $857
• Family Crisis Center, Inc. $2,144
• Fayette County Public Library $7,259
• First Baptist Church $2,863
• First Christian Church $2,835
• First United Methodist Church $915
• Friends of the Beckley Library $1,642
• Fuller Center for Housing of Beckley, WV $3,793
• Greenbrier Valley Theatre $14,828
• Harrah Cemetery Improvement Association $454
• Helping Hands Resource Center $22,040
• Hospice of Southern West Virginia, Inc. $33,003
• Humane Society of Raleigh County $34,280
• Just for Kids $15,826
• Lillian James Learning Center $533
• New River Humane Society, Inc. $1,997
• Operation Underdog $2,000
• Piney Creek Watershed Association $1,287
• Princeton Public Library $620
• Raleigh County Board of Education $7,812
• Raleigh County Commission on Aging $437
• Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center $223
• Raleigh County Historical Society $604
• Raleigh County Public Library $7,235
• Raleigh County Special Olympics $545
• Salvation Army $12,595
• Southern WV Fellowship Home $2,142
• St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church $544
• St. Francis De Sales Catholic School $6,778
• St. Matthews AME Church $735
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church $6,661
• Temple Beth El $2,067
• The First Tee of West Virginia $2,149
• Theatre West Virginia, Inc. $2,266
• Three Rivers Avian Center $1,809
• United Methodist Temple $2,459
• United Way $4,201
• University of Charleston – Beckley $26,167
• West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. $7,693
• Woman’s Club of Beckley $1,144
• Woodrow Wilson High School $778
• WV Professional Dance Company $600
• WVU Extension Services – 4H Youth Development $546
• Wyoming County Paw Patrol, Inc. $5,000
• YMCA of Southern West Virginia $18,729
• Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia $2,383

​Anyone interested in donating to a designated fund may mail contributions to BAF, 1210 S. Kanawha St., Beckley, WV 25801 or click the button below. If you are interested in starting a designated fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email [email protected].