Story by Bryan Hughes
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The morning sun beat down on the WVRC Media lot at 1111 Virginia Street East, but the summer heat did nothing to slow the steady stream of vehicles pulling in. On this Friday, July 24, 2026, the Charleston community rallied together to support families devastated by the recent floods in the Buckhannon and Weston areas.
Under the shade of the V100.FM, 98.7 The Mountain, 107.3 The Beat, 580 WCHS, and 96.1 KWS tents, a mountain of generosity began to grow. What started as a few bags of essentials quickly turned into a massive stockpile of hope, organized through a seamless “drop” format that allowed donors to stay in their cars while volunteers did the heavy lifting.
The Faces of Generosity
Throughout the day, people from all walks of life stepped up to contribute, creating snapshots of pure community spirit.
- Community Royalty: The Miss WV Peach Festival Queen arrived to lend her support, with many other queens from the West Virginia Fairs & Festivals, proudly helping out with a massive collection of paper towels, bleach, and mops.
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Monetary Support: Financial contributions flowed in alongside station reps and community members who smiled brightly as they dropped off generous monetary donations. The Peach Festival Queen was under the V100 tent to present a check, ensuring funds reach the American Red Cross and local relief groups.
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Heavy Lifting: The true heroes of the day were the donors and volunteers unloading cars. One woman pulled a trunk’s worth of beverage cases from the back of her SUV. Meanwhile, people were carrying bulk packs of paper products, dog food, and cases of water, trying to coordinate the logistics with fellow organizers.
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Family Contributions: It was a family affair for many. One family dropped off their much-needed haul of Gentle Steps diapers, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies before another family followed closely behind. A similar scene was unfolding where volunteers gathered around the open trunk of an SUV to eagerly unload a large box of Huggies.
Organizing the Chaos
The sheer volume of items collected was a testament to West Virginia’s resilience. As the afternoon progressed, the drop-off zone was overflowing.
Volunteers were carefully sorting through an Aldi bag bursting with necessities, trying to organize the chaotic pile of mops, brooms, and paper goods. The stockpile reached impressive heights by late afternoon. There were towering stacks of Angel Soft toilet paper, Clorox wipes, and Frito-Lay snacks completely dwarfing a man.
By 6:00 p.m., the empty parking lot on Virginia Street will be full-scale staging ground for recovery. Thanks to the partnership with Titan Roofing to transport the goods to North-Central West Virginia, every diaper, mop, and bottle of water collected will soon be in the hands of those who need it, proving once again what it means to be West Virginia Strong.
NOTE: We will continue to take donations through next week (7/27-7/31). Drop by 1111 Virginia Street East during business hours and we’ll be happy to take supplies and monetary donations!