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Boos & Applause

Applause to the legacy Dr. Samuel Kump “Sam” Roberts leaves this community as he ventures on a new journey. For those who grew up with Sam Roberts, they most likely remember a fierce competitor on the football field. But for the past 40-plus years, Dr. Roberts has been delivering babies and providing medical care to countless people in the area. Dr. Roberts will be sadly missed but will be fondly remembered by countless local residents and Elkins-area natives.

Applause to the members of the First Baptist Church in Elkins, who gathered late last week to pack 50 Christmas meal baskets for needy families. Members of the church congregation gather annually to collect various food items and pack them into boxes to distribute to families who had previously signed up and given the information. The boxes are customized to feed the appropriate size of family.

Applause to Upshur County Sheriff David Coffman and employees in his office, who distributed presents to local foster and kinship children last week. They presented Comfort Cases, backpacks with age appropriate items including hygiene products, pajamas, a book or coloring book and a toy. The children were brought to the Upshur County Courthouse Friday for a distribution with their guardians. The event featured cupcakes and cookies and a decorated Christmas tree to add to the festive atmosphere.

Applause to local volunteers and generous residents who helped Operation Christmas Child gather 13,039 shoeboxes for underprivileged children from citizens of Elkins and surrounding areas this year. The unofficial count for the state of West Virginia is somewhere around 117,700, officials said. Collection week for the boxes began on Nov. 18 and ended on Nov. 25, and volunteers initially hoped to gather 12,500 boxes.

Applause to the West Virginia chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army, who gathered recently for their annual luncheon to honor Kylie Shinaberry, a 17-year-old from Pocahontas County who the Division has sponsored for years. Shinaberry was born with birth defects that affected development in the left side of her face. She’s had many surgeries throughout her life and hopes that the final procedure will be performed in the near future. The 82nd Airborne Division began sponsoring Shinaberry when she was 5 years old by raising funds to help cover some of her medical expenses. The Division has worked closely with the Shriners Hospitals for Children to help Shinaberry.

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