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Follansbee chamber making a difference

MAKING A DIFFERENCE — The Follansbee Chamber of Commerce and several businesses and groups presented monetary contributions to 10 local causes in observance of Make a Difference Day. Among those participating as donors or recipients were, from left, front: Linda Abercrombie and Charlene Smith of Bruins Helping Bruins, Shirley Jean Cuomo of Follansbee Christian Assembly, Chamber President Tony Paesano, Pat Accettolo of the 20th Century Woman’s Club, Eberle Williams and Josh Swartz of the Anderson Children’s Home, Jeanne Ferrell of the Colliers Primary School backpack program and Gene Chadwell; and back: Eric Fithyan of Chambers & James Funeral Homes, Tammy Hornick of the American Cancer Society, Chamber Director Debbie Puskarich, Olive McGee of the Follansbee WesBanco Branch, Cindy Kocher of the First National Bank Follansbee branch, Sara Furioli of Brooke County Special Olympics, Bonnie James of the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program, Kim Weaver of the Weirton Christian Center and the Rev. Joe Cuomo of the Follansbee Christian Assembly. - Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — The Follansbee Chamber of Commerce and several local businesses and groups are again observing Make a Difference Day by providing contributions to efforts ranging from backpacks filled with food for students in need to first aid care for pets affected by fires.

Chamber President Tony Paesano noted it’s the 22nd year the chamber has participated in Make a Difference Day, a nationwide observance promoted by USA Weekend to encourage community service.

Paesano said the chamber became involved in 1995, just three years after Make a Difference Day was launched, and that year won a $2,500 grant used to provide a washer and dryer for the Anderson Children’s Home.

The children’s home, which cares for children with mental and physical impairments, continues to benefit from the occasion, with a $500 donation from C.A.B. Technologies and Printing Solutions. The business is owned by Charles A. Basil, a Follansbee native.

Paesano added the 20th Century Woman’s Club also has purchased $50 in fruit for the home.

The chamber also purchased, for $250, two first aid bags containing items for the treatment of pets rescued from house fires by the Follansbee Fire Department.

Produced by the Fetch Foundation, each bag contains an oxygen mask to treat pets suffering from smoke inhalation, burn cream, saline solution and other items for caring for animals, said Debbie Puskarich, the chamber’s executive director.

Paesano said about 40,000 animals die each year from smoke inhalation, and the kits will help local firefighters to prevent such deaths.

Also at Wednesday’s chamber meeting, the following contributions were:

¯ $1,000 to the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H. Program by 1st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jason Cuomo and his wife, Dana. The Cuomos are carrying on an annual donation made by the judge and his late father, Frank, when the two were running the Cuomo & Cuomo Law Office.

Bonnie James, the food pantry’s director, said the contribution will help to defray the cost of liability insurance required of the nonprofit group because it provides food to local families in need.

¯ $500 from the chamber to the Weirton Christian Center, which Kim Weaver, its director, said will be used to purchase food for 84 children in its afterschool program and 23 children in its preschool program.

¯ $300 from the chamber to Bruins Helping Bruins, a volunteer group that operates a food pantry and clothes closet for Brooke High School students in need. Volunteers Linda Abercrombie and Charlene Smith said the money will help fill backpacks with food for 34 students served by the food pantry.

¯ $300 from the chamber to the American Cancer Society from Chambers and James Funeral Homes. Tammy Hornick, who chairs the Brooke-Hancock Relay for Life, said the donation will go to the Look Good, Feel Better program and other services for cancer patients treated at Wheeling Hospital.

¯ $250 from First National Bank for the Brooke County Special Olympics program, which currently involves 30 athletes in several sports under the direction of Sara Furioli, its director.

¯ $250 from Vito’s 2 to the clothes closet operated by the Jefferson Primary School PTA, which is headed by Johanna Klepack. Jeanne Ferrell, who accepted on her behalf, said the clothes closet recently clothed about 50 children.

¯ $250 from the chamber to Hooverson Heights Community of Christ’s backpack program, which has provided food for 89 pupils at Follansbee Middle School and L.B. Millsop Primary School.

¯ $250 from the chamber to the Christian Assembly of Follansbee’s afterschool program, which has provided more than 100 children with homework assistance and food since it began in 2008.

¯ $40 from the staff of the Follansbee WesBanco branch for school and other supplies for Brooke Place, the group home for girls operated by Family Connections.

¯ $200 from Paesano and Rich Puskarich to the Colliers Primary School backpack program, which Ferrell said is serving about 90 kids each week.

Paesano noted all of the donations came from local businesses and encouraged the various recipients to show their appreciation by shopping local.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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