PHILIPPI, W.Va. — The single largest donation made by a community bank in the state’s history will help fund the construction of a community athletic and activities facility on the campus of Philip Barbour High School’s George Byrer Field.
BCBank President and CEO Jeffrey Goff presented a $1.5 million donation Friday morning during a ceremony in front of the student body, faculty and local dignitaries.
“Our economy has been hitting this area hard for quite a while,” Goff said. “If we wanted to make a million dollar pledge, that would be a great thing and we might get some headlines, but I don’t know that would ensure the sustainability of the project or the viability of the project. We wanted to make sure that if we were going to contribute, we wanted to do so in a way that would make sure that this project happens.”
The facility, to be named BCBank Park, will include an artificial turf playing and performance field, eight-lane track, new field house, concession stand and restroom facilities.
Plans for the project had been in the works for the bank for a while and they reached out to Barbour County Superintendent of Schools Jeff Woofter about the time he took the position in July.
To him, the facility will go a long way, not only for athletics and community, but in academic achievement.
“This facilitiy will be an outdoor classroom as well,” he said. “When you feel good about it, then you’re more inclined to be positive and do well in other things, not just athletics but academically.”
The project has been a long time coming, according to Charlie Byrer, son of longtime coach and athletic director George Byrer.
He says he could remember 53 years ago when his father was asked to design an athletic complex for the school, but the money for the recently passed bond couldn’t cover the costs.
So, Byrer said they made due.
“He had to cut it in half. We ended up with a cinder track, we had to bring the press box from AB Field, where we used to play, through town and set it up, bleachers had to be brought in from Belington and Philippi and the light poles were just wood.”
Now with the new funding, the school will no longer have to make small improvements over time to their facility and can create something that his son knows George Byrer would be proud of.
“What you’re seeing here is unfinished business being finished within the next year,” Charlie said. “I’m just excited that the community and BCBank have a vision here that this is going to be the crown jewel in this area.”
To go along with the $1.5 million donation, BCBank established a $250,000 challenge grant fund through the Promise Foundation of Barbour County, a 501C3 non-profit organization.
If the community is able to raise the $250,000, the bank will match each dollar 1:1, for a total of $2 million, the cost of construction.
“When the kids take the field next fall, I don’t know how much it would mean to them to know that they’re taking the field in a place that was built for them by their community,” Goff said. “We could go out and attract money from outside of the area or out of the state and we’d get just as nice a facility, but that heart wouldn’t be there.”
More on the challenge grant can be found at the foundation’s website, as well as the Facebook page.
The project is to be completed by Fall 2016, in time for the Colts’ first football game of the season.