BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Ball Toyota owner, Shawn Ball received the highest honor presented by a West Virginia governor on Friday as Ball was recognized by Governor Jim Justice as the recipient of the “Distinguished West Virginian” award.
Ball was one of many state leaders – including brother and business partner, David Ball – present at the Woodrow Wilson Auditorium on Friday morning for a special panel pertaining to critical issues of student need being faced by schools across the state and nation.
The Ball Toyota Family of Dealerships announced a partnership with many West Virginia schools throughout their service area to which a $650,000 donation was made to assist students in need and school leadership to obtain and provide essential items such as clothing, food, hygiene products, and more. The donation comes alongside a $250,000 gift to Marshall University, emphasizing the family’s support for the university.
Many prominent West Virginia leaders participated in the panel including Marshall University President Brad D. Smith, Shawn Ball, West Virginia Schools Superintendent Michelle Blatt, West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice, Woodrow Wilson High School Community in Schools Site Coordinator Lindsay Flanagan, Woodrow Wilson High School student Mikayla Smith, Woodrow Wilson High School Principal Ryan Stafford, and Raleigh County Schools Superintendent Dr. Serena Starcher.
The event also featured a surprise appearance from Governor Jim Justice himself, along with his trusty companion Babydog. Governor Justice addressed those in attendance before revealing that Shawn Ball would be the recipient of the highly coveted “Distinguished West Virginian award.
“When people step up and they get really active in our communities, they become heroes in my book. This man is a hero in my book,” said Governor Justice of Ball’s efforts. “Shawn, I absolutely am so honored to give you this, and I hope you know… really and truly, this is the biggest of anything I could give you. That’s all there is to it.”
“I don’t like to give notoriety to myself or my businesses or my family for these things. We’ve always done these things because we want to show support to the community,” said Shawn Ball of his philanthropic efforts. “I always say that these are seeds we plant then we hope they grow, and I don’t care if anybody knows who I am… We just kind of do these things because we want to show our local communities how many struggles there are for these kids. That’s it; that’s the only reason I do this.”
For more information on West Virginia Communities in Schools, visit the Communities in Schools website.
