The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Tucker County Community Foundation Chief Executive Officer David ‘Coop’ Cooper, left, and TCCF Development Director Angie Pase made an informational presentation and funding request to the Randolph County Commission. The two requested funds for this year’s Run For It event, which will take place in Davis during the Leaf Peepers Festival.

ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission agreed to help support a pair of local organizations during its most recent meeting.

Commissioners Cris Siler, David Kesling and Chris See unanimously approved providing $6,000 in funding to the Tucker County Community Foundation’s Run For It event, and $5,000 to the Randolph County Cages.

Run For It, which takes place annually during the Leaf Peepers Festival in Davis, raises funds and awareness for community organizations, projects, nonprofit agencies, educational activities and charities located within the TCCF’s service area, which includes Randolph, Tucker, Barbour, Pocahontas, Grant, Mineral and Preston counties.

Since its inception in 2017, Run For It has generated more than $3 million for charities throughout the Foundation’s service area. Last year’s 2k walk and 5k run featured 1,389 participants, representing 77 community causes. 

TCCF Chief Executive Officer David “Coop” Cooper and Development Director Angie Pase came before the commission during the meeting to offer an information presentation.

“Of the $57,000 you have given to Run For It over the years, $452,000 has come back to Randolph County,” Cooper said. “That’s a big chunk of change from your guys’ seed money.”

This year’s Run For It is scheduled for Sept. 28 and registration for teams is open from April 1 to Sept. 25. Teams competing in the event raise money from sponsorships for the race. Those who sign up early are able to take advantage of a longer fundraising period.

“Your support began in 2013 and there has been a huge return,” Pase said to the commission. “In the last five years alone you have contributed $27,500 to our Run For It Program, and that return back to you in five years has been $227,640. During that time, 83 teams have participated and represented organizations from Randolph County.

“In the past five years there have been over 1,000 participants who have come to Davis to represent some amazing organizations and projects folks are working on.”

Pase asked the commissioners to help get the word out about the race to any community organizations trying to raise money. 

“Those who come out to the race are actually fundraisers themselves,” she said. “The Foundation does kick in money to the award purse and we also seek money from corporate sponsors and local businesses throughout our eight-county region… This is a fantastic way for organizations to raise funds and awareness.”

Kesling said the commission was raising the amount of funding this year by $1,000 as a challenge to the Tucker County Commission to do the same.

“You tell those guys in Tucker County that Randolph County is going to give $6,000 this year instead of $5,000,” Kesling said. “Tell them that they have to beat that since it’s held in their county.”

The funds for Run For It will be taken from the county’s hotel/motel tax line item in the county budget.

Also during the meeting, Kesling said Kelly Cooper, who is president of the Randolph County Cages organization, recently reached out to him about funding the organization. 

“The Randolph County Cages is seeking money to help with equipment and upgrades to their facility,” Kesling said. “We helped them get them started when they were first opening and this is something we want to help with again. This is something we can take from the hotel/motel tax line for recreational purposes for the county.”

The non-profit organization allows area youth to work on their baseball and softball skills indoors during the winter months. The facility, which is located at the former site of a skating rink near Beverly, offers a host of batting cages and batting-t stations. There are also areas to work on pitching and fielding.

Cooper and other staff members at the Randolph County Cages offer baseball and softball lessons at the facility.

“They get a lot of kids up there from several counties,” Siler said. “They help the high school and middle school teams — it’s a good thing they have going up there.”