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20th annual Ted Harriman Memorial Log-A-Load for Kids event raises funds

Auctioneer Dallas Helddreth starts the bidding on logs donated by Allegheny Wood Products. Vince Judy said the poplar and red oak logs were cut from a tract of land near Pickins that had not been logged since the early 1900s. Heritage Hardwoods purchased the logs for $4,600.

ELKINS — The Mountain Loggers Cooperative Association presented a $50,000 donation to West Virginia University Children’s Hospital Thursday morning during a ceremony that kicked off the

log auction.

The log auction has been part of the Mountain State Forest Festival for 20 years and, according to board member Curt Hassler, the organization has donated a total of $1.6 million to Children’s Hospital in the past two decades.

“This is a special year for our organization,” Hassler said in the opening ceremony. “It marks 20 years for the Ted Harriman Memorial Log-A-Load for Kids.”

The event was named in memory of Ted Harriman, a native of Preston County who served in various professional forestry positions through his short life, and also served on the West Virginia Forestry Association Board of Directors, devoting many hours to the Association’s Logger Safety Initiative. He also worked to advance the mission of the West Virginia Forest Industries Camp. To honor his memory, the Camp was renamed the “Ted Harriman Forest Industries Camp.”

Harriman also was deeply involved in the development of the Log-a-Load for Kids program, where he provided leadership to the annual log auction fund raiser. The event was later named in his memory as well.

Harriman’s twin sister, Teresa, was present at the ceremony and offered to Hassler, the first donation for the 2016 auction. She spoke, with emotion, about her brother.

“I cannot believe my brother has been gone this long. But in the memory of my twin brother, I want to begin this auction with a donation in his honor,” she said to those in attendance.

Nearly a hundred people, both bidders and contributors, attended the event along with Mountain State Forest Festival officials and royalty.

Director General Scott Goddard introduced Maids of Honor Skout Barger and Amelia Preusch and Maid Sylvia Kara Alvarez.

“I would like to thank you for inviting us here today to join in an event that will help kids in the future,” Alvarez said.

Several awards were presented during the ceremony, including hardwood plaques to the four largest contributors to the 2015 fundraiser. The four awards went to: Allegheny Wood Products as fourth largest, Plum Creek/Wyerhouser as third largest, Northwest Hardwoods as second and Heritage Hardwoods as the largest contributor.

Paul Dohner, owner of Heritage Hardwood in Lititz, Pennsylvania, attends the event each year and received the ‘largest contributor’ award for the past several years.

Dave Opel of Double D Logging from Grantsville received the 2016 Presidential Award for outstanding service to the industry and the organization.

Mountain Loggers Cooperative Association president, Butch Glotfelty presented Cheryl Jones, director of the West Virginia University Children’s Hospital, a donation of $50,000 from the organization. The money will benefit the Children’s Hospital in Morgantown.

WVU Children’s Hospital provides specialty maternal, infant and pediatric care for families in West Virginia and the surrounding region. It also offers care to high-risk mothers, premature infants and children with life-threatening conditions.

Senior director general of development Janette Gidley, thanked the group and said, “You have helped 250,000 kids from all over state. Thank you so much for your generosity.”

Pediatric cardiologist from Children’s Hospital Larry Rhodes thanked the organization for their suggestion to further the idea of fundraising to the southern loggers of the state and also noted their 2015 donation helped purchase six new beds for neo-natal.

“Ten percent of the babies born at Children’s Hospital are born to drug addicts,” he noted. “It’s a terrible thing, but your donations help make the lives of these babies better.”

The Load-a-Log For Kids fundraiser is just one event the Mountain Loggers Cooperative Association members host. Their Elimination Dinner proceeds help critical needs children and families, and a scholarship fund helps one student through one year of college each year.

“Our scholarship program offers $7,500 to a student to forward their education,” Hassler said. “We are accepting applications now until the end of the year. The recipient does not have to be a member, but must be recommended by a member of the organization.”

For students interested in sending in an application, contact Curt Hassler at 304-282-5417.

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