MORGANTOWN — Kim Wears called her daughters Carly and Rachael Wears the day after one of the worst tornadoes in United States history wreaked havoc in one of our neighboring states, Kentucky.
After seeing the devastation in the aftermath of the tornado, she knew they had to help.
The Wears family, owners of Gryff Construction, a local female-owned and operated contracting company in Maidsville, have been collecting items from the community and local businesses for the past week.
The Wearses began by reaching out to several places in Kentucky including the State of Kentucky, that were able to provide them with lists of most needed items.
Since then, the family has been going to local businesses, asking for donations and setting up shop in Walmart parking lots to collect from community members in the evenings.
Kim said her giving spirit comes from personal experience.
“I was in a situation like this in 1985. We had a lot of floods in 85 and I know how devastated all those people were and how I was,” she said. “So every time I see something like this I can’t take it. I just felt like they had so much devastation. This one of the worst tornadoes to hit the United States and the more I saw and read, I thought we should be able to do something. They are our neighboring state, so I said that is what we are going to do for Christmas this year.”
According to the Wearses, the community has stepped up and provided donations for pretty much everything on the list. Even businesses and people in Clarksburg and Bridgeport have reached out, asking to donate.
The family said local businesses have provided a lot of donations. Lowes donated rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, buckets, tarps, charcoal and more. Local hotels such as the Holiday Inn on Pineview Drive and the Candlewood Suites by Triple S Harley-Davidson donated blankets, sheets, shampoos and soaps, and even coffee.
Kim, who works at WVU Hospitals NICU, said they donated a lot of items, as well as cash. Infant clothing was one of most requested donations from Kentucky.
The Wears family said several other businesses, including the Greene Turtle, Petco, The Ranch, Cool Kids Consignment, and H Haddix Liquidations have been generous with donations as well.
Individual community members have given sleeping bags, blankets, tents, clothing, work boots and more. “We have had tears of joy from all of the donations,” the family said.
On Sunday, the Wears women will gather all the donations collected and pack them up. They plan to leave around 4 a.m. Monday to personally deliver the donations to Central Elementary School in Benton, Ky.
