Odd Fellows awards dinner honors local football team, individuals
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Larry Ferguson, the former IOOF Sovereign Grand Master, was honored with the Rebekah of the Year award at the annual Independent Order of Odd Fellows awards dinner.
ELKINS -- A local high school football team received honors for their help during relief efforts after the 2019 Harman flood during the annual Independent Order of Odd Fellows awards dinner.
The 2018-2019 Tygart Valley High School Football Team was presented the Good Samaritan Award at the annual dinner for their flood relief efforts after the summer 2019 flood.
"We're really proud of the boys for helping out in the community," said Rodney Bright, head coach for TVHS football.
"It was a spur of the moment type thing; there really wasn't a whole lot of planning, and those guys--at the last moment's notice--just jumped into trucks and took off."
Bright said the team worked two days, cleaning the area and placing sandbags around Harman School.
"The first day they were there, they did a lot of cleaning, shoveling mud, carrying stuff out of people's garages and basements. I know they bleached some basements and some houses and things--just pretty much anything that dealt with heavier work for people--getting stuff carried, moved around," said Bright.
"The second time we went out there, they had two or three big truckloads of sand bags, and we carried those and put them around the school because they were anticipating high water again. They carried sandbags around them and placed them around Harman School in case the water came back up so it wouldn't get back in the school."
Also during the awards dinner, Dorse, Allen and Keith See were presented the Humanitarian Award for their assistance after flood.
Others who received honors during the dinner include Rebekah of the Year Larry Ferguson, the former IOOF Sovereign Grand Master; Odd Fellow of the Year Dan Vest; and Heart-in-Hand Award recipients Christine and Doug Wood.
Among those in attendance at the dinner were regional representative Lynn E. Phillips on behalf of Gov. Jim Justice, Elkins Councilwoman Linda Vest on behalf of Mayor Van Broughton, Randolph County Commissioner Mark Scott, West Virginia IOOF Grand Master Wendell Hill and West Virginia Rebekah Assembly President Jacqueline Aleshire-Hill.