Latest news with #Bolyard
Dominion Post
05-08-2025
- General
- Dominion Post
Annual Back to School Bash this weekend at Mylan Park
MORGANTOWN — Pantry Plus More's annual Back to School Bash takes a year's worth of work to pull together. Thousands of hours volunteered and tens of thousands of dollars raised for a return on investment that's way more about feeling than finance. That payoff arrives between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday when an anticipated 1,600 school-age kids fill the Mon County Center in Mylan Park. 'What I love about the Bash is that it gives volunteers like myself a real-life glimpse into the work that you're doing,' event chair Amanda Bolyard said. 'The kids are so excited. Watching a kid pick out a backpack with a character they like or a color they want is an amazing feeling. You watch them go through the supply lines and when they leave, they're so excited about what they have. It's really an indescribable experience.' The yearly event began in 2018 with the goal of giving every kid in Monongalia County the opportunity to show up on the first day of school with a brand new backpack and all new school supplies – the point being a child who isn't fixated on what they don't have can instead focus on learning. It's the same idea behind the pantries the nonprofit keeps stocked in a number of Monongalia County schools. 'The bash is important to our work as education is the pathway out of poverty,' Bolyard said. 'The mission of [Pantry Plus More] is to help eliminate hunger and other obstacles that inhibit students' ability to achieve their educational goals.' Items will be available for free on a first-come-first-served basis to all students Pre-K through 12th attending a Monongalia County school. Offerings will include backpacks, school supplies and hygiene products. There will also be vendor resource tables providing families information about various support services in the area. The Monongalia County Health Department will be on hand to offer physicals for $20 as well as information and registration for WIC. While organizers encourage pre-registering online through the PPM Facebook page ( students can register the day of the event. As of Tuesday morning, more than 1,400 kids had been registered. Volunteers can also sign up via a link available through Facebook or at Beyond volunteering, the community can support the Back to School Bash through monetary donations or in-kind donations of items like spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, loose leaf paper, markers, crayons, pens, pencils and other new school supplies. Bolyard said the Bash is the largest single-day event undertaken by PPM. It takes a year of preparation and the support from community partners like Northeast Natural Energy, which provided $10,000 to purchase hygiene products. Other supporters include Chestnut Ridge Church, Mon Health and the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust. 'Just seeing one kid come through and be excited to go to school instead of the alternative feeling of shame or embarrassment – seeing one child like that makes it all worth it,' Bolyard said. 'It's very special.'
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Windmill Park pickleball court a testament to power of community input
FAIRMONT — When the new pickleball court opened at Windmill Park, the last thing anyone suspected was Fairmont Mayor Anne Bolyard slicing a mean serve while wearing high heels. As it turned out, it was even a surprise to Bolyard, who hasn't played in 25 years. But the skills only lay dormant, waiting for a chance to reveal themselves on her hapless opponents. 'This was my first attempt at pickleball, trying something new for me,' Bolyard said. 'Wearing heels made my first time playing pickleball even more memorable. I am excited to start learning more about the sport and playing at Windmill Park.' The City of Fairmont cut the ribbon on a new pickleball court in a ceremony at Windmill Park Friday at noon. After the dedication, City Manager Travis Blosser and Bolyard played a few doubles rounds against a few city employees. The court is a repurposed basketball court that had fallen into disrepair. 'Pickleball, it's a craze right now,' Blosser said. 'Everybody is into it, it's like tennis. My understanding is it's like tennis but a little smaller, not as intensive.' Blosser said the city ripped out the old basketball courts which were not being utilized to build the court. They left some space around it for amenities to be added later, he said. In total, the city has spent $3 million worth of upgrades to city parks in fiscal year 2024-25, and Blosser said next fiscal year the city plans on doubling that investment. And so far, the city is excited to show off the work it has put into the parks to its residents. Blosser said it was important for residents to have access to these amenities. 'West Virginians, sometimes we're not the healthiest,' he said. 'So having these opportunities to get outside to enjoy some physical activity is beneficial from a health standpoint.' Windmill Park, in particular, has been the focus of a lot of improvements this year. The park was a sore spot between residents of the Belleview neighborhood and the city. As a neighborhood that was historically where many Black families lived, residents charged the park's neglect was racial in nature. The neglect persisted through sheer inertia, maintaining itself through previous iterations of otherwise well meaning municipal governments. In 2024, Blosser's administration declared they would face the disinvestment head on and finally give the park the care its residents demanded. The city stayed true to its word, and held community input sessions where one of the requests was to build a pickleball court. Blosser updated city council with regular status reports on the progress at Windmill Park. 'Opportunities for physical activity and trying something new are important aspects to community life,' Bolyard said. 'These types of opportunities need to be available to all and that is reflected in the city's work in our parks over the last year. The continued investment in our parks is one of many ways we are committed to expanding opportunities for all.' District Four Councilmember Anthony Horton said the change has been noticed. He's lived in the area for 50 years. 'Our community is actually using this thing everyday,' Horton said. 'Children from the neighborhood use it everyday. The city is really playing its part.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
East Side park gets upgraded as 'great gathering spot for families'
FAIRMONT — Like many residents in Fairmont, Mayor Anne Bolyard has a personal connection to the dolphin and turtle at Morgantown Avenue Mini Park in East Side. "I played on that park myself, as a young person when spending summers with my grandmother," Bolyard said. "So to see that generational place in the neighborhood for families and children continue to expand, that would be a paramount takeaway from yesterday for me." On Monday, the City of Fairmont and the Rotary Club of Fairmont celebrated groundbreaking on improvements for the mini park, for which the Rotary Club donated $25,000. As a result, the park will be known as the Rotary Club of Fairmont Mini Park. The total cost of the improvements will land around $90,000, and represent a portion of roughly $3 million which Bolyard said the City was putting into its park system this fiscal year. "This is the latest announcement in our plan to update and revitalize all our municipal parks," City Manager Travis Blosser said in a press release. "This $25,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Fairmont sets a new standard for relationships with our community partners, and we hope to continue this relationship and have other partners follow suit." What the City will also follow suit on is its preservation of the park's famous dolphin and turtle. Blosser confirmed the dolphin would receive a nice spa day on Facebook, and said the kids from East Park put him on notice that nothing better happen to it or the turtle. "She is staying!!!" Blosser promised on Facebook. Bolyard said the City is looking at doing one better. "The City will have something to celebrate their rejuvenation and treatment," she said. "There'll be a contest and events surrounding the dolphin and the turtle. They've been there since the 80s, as long as I can remember as a younger child playing on them." Julie Sawyer, Fairmont Rotary Club President, said the club was able to donate because it had excess money from its Fly the Flag fundraising project in Fairmont. She said the group decided to put that money back into the community, and after tossing a few ideas around, they decided a playground would be a good idea. They reached out to the City of Fairmont to see if they could partner on anything the City was doing. "We were thrilled, we're honored to be able to play a role in this renovation and improvement of the Morgantown Avenue Mini Park, which is now going to be called the Rotary Club of Fairmont Mini Park," Sawyer said. The park's improvements include two new playsets, new mulch and border, new paved pathways, a replacement water fountain and the installation of a second fountain, a new pavilion and new security cameras. The improvements will allow the park to continue serving the next generation of Fairmont residents. "The mayor grew up in that area, Travis grew up in that area," Sawyer said. "They talked about how they played in that park and it's a place where children learn and grow and families come together and neighbors can gather. I know they're putting in a pavilion so that's going to be a great gathering spot for the people of the community."
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Preston High School FFA students participate in Drive Your Tractor to School Day
KINGWOOD, (WBOY) — It isn't every day you get to bring your tractor to school, but at Preston County High School, tractor operation and mechanics are part of the curriculum. On Friday, May 9, Preston High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) students and associates drove tractors to school to help demonstrate the students' pride in their agricultural roots. This is the second year of the initiative, which was created and organized by Preston High seniors Connor Gibson and Cordell Bolyard. Cheat River Rail-Trail open for recreation in Kingwood 12 News spoke with Gibson and Bolyard on why they chose to drive their tractors to school and how it felt to have support from the community in doing so. 'I guess passion for agriculture, I mean, just kind of promote it a little bit, get people out and knowing what it is,' Bolyard said. 'I'm happy to see that people are willing to take time out of one day and let us drive our tractors and not really get upset about it. Preston County is a very agriculturally driven county, so it's definitely something cool that we can all kind of come together because this county is massive and we can all come together in one place and do one thing all together,' said Gibson. Preston High School agriculture teacher Samantha Funk also spoke with 12 News, mentioning that having students participate in this event demonstrates the strength and appreciation students have for agriculture and that she'd like to see more girls participate next year. Bolyard and Gibson have already passed the torch of the tradition off to underclassmen so that the Tractor Day tradition will live on after they graduate. On Sunday, May 18, the Preston County FFA will host an awards banquet to honor all of its students' accomplishments this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Day of Giving surpasses goal of raising $700K in a day for Fairmont State
FAIRMONT — Members of the community alumni and businesses came together Feb. 27 to raise $715,501 during Fairmont State University's sixth Day of Giving. With a goal of raising $700,000 for programs, athletics and scholarships throughout campus,1,686 donors stepped forward to support the local university. Donors had more than 60 different programs from which to choose when they made their gift during that 24-hour window last month. Fairmont State Foundation President Anne Bolyard thanked Day of Giving donors for rising to the challenge. 'From the initial planning conversations to the present, the Fairmont State Foundation team has demonstrated unfailing commitment and dedication to exceeding the 2025 Day of Giving goal," Bolyard said. "Their dedication and unmatched professional expertise are deeply appreciated and embody the mission and success of our Foundation.' Fairmont State's five colleges raised a combined total of $99,133 to help fund various academic programs and initiatives. An additional $197,558 was raised for academic scholarships. The College of Education, Health & Human Performance earned the distinction of being the academic unit that raised the most money. The $43,443 raised will be used to fund such programs as the PRAXIS Test Support Fund, Outdoor Leadership, Exercise Science and the Autism Individualized Mentoring and Support Services program. The College of Business & Aviation had the most individual donors at 133. Of those, 95 made donation to help fund the aviation program. In terms of athletics, 802 donations totaling $247,185 came in for the university's sports program. Falcons football came out No. 1 with $35,089 from 101 donors, while women's basketball raised $22,010 from 40 donors. Donors gave an additional $14,998 to help fund athletic scholarships. The women's volleyball team had the most donors of any athletic team this year with 143, and they earned an additional $2,250 in prizes for their program with this achievement. 'To be able to raise over $250,000 in one day is amazing, and the fact that it came from over 800 donors, just shows us how much our community cares about our Fighting Falcons. Thank you to all who were able show their support,' Fairmont State Athletic Director Greg Bamberger said. 'I also want to thank everyone who was responsible for the entire day. I know months of planning was put into it by members of the University and the Foundation. "The coordination and organization required to pull this event off was top shelf. These resources will be used to aid athletic scholarship support for our student-athletes and let us occasionally do something special for our student-athletes that reminds them of the fact Fairmont State is a Great Place.' Individual and corporate donors stepped up to provide 80 prizes and matching gifts. For example, William Laughlin and Lois Muto Laughlin provided matching gifts for each of the five colleges and athletics, totaling $15,000. The Mike Ross Family Foundation matched a total of $13,000 split evenly between the College of Nursing and the Falcon Surveyors student organization. Gary K. and Barbara Bennett matched a total of $11,000 in gifts, supporting the Student Veteran's Organization, the Aviation Center of Excellence, the Glenn A. Harman Accounting Excellence Award, PRAXIS Test Support Fund and University Bands. The Thrasher Group provided $3,000 to the Architecture program and $3,000 to the Engineering Technology program after challenging 15 or more Thrasher employees to make a gift to any participating area on Day of Giving. Fairmont State President Mike Davis and Alumni Association Board Chair Nick Fantasia each provided $1 to the Falcon Fund for every donor on Day of Giving. Davis sponsored a final-hour challenge that awarded $1,000 to the giving area that hauled in the most donors from 11 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Omni Associates sponsored the Lunch Rush Challenge this year, which provided $1,000 to the giving area with the most donors between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EMCOR Services Scalise Industries sponsored a Midnight Madness challenge, which offered $500 to the giving area with the most donations in the first hour of Day of Giving. Campus community members were encouraged to stop by the Falcon Center throughout the day to make a gift, try their luck at the punch-a-bunch board for prizes, sign a thank you note, and watch livestream interviews with donors and representatives from featured programs. 'This year's Day of Giving once again demonstrated the incredible impact we can achieve together,' Davis said. 'Surpassing our $700,000 goal means more scholarships, enhanced student experiences, and stronger academic and athletic programs. We extend our deepest gratitude to every donor—your generosity helps make Fairmont State a truly Great Place to Learn, Work, and Call Home.'
