The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Kaufman Realty and Auctions’ Andrew Yoder, right, auctions off a load of logs during the Mountain Loggers Group’s annual Log-A-Load for Kids Auction at Newlons International Sales during the Mountain State Forest Festival.

ELKINS — Each year during the Mountain State Forest Festival, Mountain Loggers Group Inc. comes together to host the annual Ted Harriman Memorial Log-A-Load for Kids at Newlons International Sales.

One hundred percent of the money taken in for the annual event, held on Thursday, goes to WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital in Morgantown. Last year alone, Log-A-Load raised $190,000 for the hospital.

Maid Silvia LXXXVI Lilly Harper Ryan and her Maids of Honor, Jaden Pratt and Kourtney Jones, attended the event, alongside MSFF Director General Peggy Phillips. Dr. Larry Rhodes and Amy Bush represented WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital at Log-A-Load. 

“I just want to say thank you to all of you for this very special day, it’s really an honor to be here with you,” said Bush, chief administrative officer at the hospital. “I was looking back at how much this event has raised since it started in 1997 and it’s over $2.4 million to Children’s Hospital. And that’s for things like bricks and mortar, toys, books, things at Easter, things at holiday time, and most recently to our new Children’s Hospital.”

The Mountain Loggers Group, made up of members from West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, began raising money for WVU Children’s Hospital in 2006. Close to 100 companies and individuals attended Thursday’s event.  

Last year’s top Log-A-Load contributors were recognized and presented with plagues during the event. Heritage Hardwoods was awarded first place for its contributions, while J.C. Lumber was second, Fredonia Forest Products third, and Columbia Forest Products fourth. 

“What I see more and more every day is that the needs don’t stop and I think about what was given with the last donation,” Bush said. “In our ER we see a really unimaginable number of kids who suffer from mental health challenges, and now because of you we have TVs in those rooms for them…

“Our goal is to build healthier futures for these kids and their families and make things as easy as possible during a time that is usually not great. So I just thank you from the bottom of my heart and we are honored to be here with you today. Thank you on behalf of our whole team, our board, and our CEO, we really appreciate you.”

WVU Medicine Children’s was named the top children’s hospital in West Virginia for a third consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. 

The rankings also include two subspecialties that are rated among the top 50 programs in the United States, both WVU Medicine’s Pediatric Urology and Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery programs.