Tuesday evening brought together the leaders of the 1982 Foundation, under the direction of Crystal Mersh, to discuss the up and coming plans for 2022. Eleven members joined the online Zoom meeting to listen and add their input on the event calendar which is filled with opportunity.
The Mission of the 1982 Foundation is to serve the people of Calhoun with innovative ideas, programs and services to advance the opportunities for our children, our citizens and our future. They wish to facilitate, inspire and bring restoration to a building, a county and its people.
The Officers of the Foundation are:
- Crystal Laughlin Mersh, (Business)
- Teresa Jones Overton (Fundraising & PR)
- Robin Mace Hughes (Community)
- Roger Carter (Spiritual)
- Paul Goodrich (Sports)
- Heidi Litzinger Terry (Educational)
The organization will open the facility in several phases using two entities to cover the legalities of the business. The 1982 Foundation will be under a 501c3 as a non-profit Corporation which will include the operations of the Gym, Children’s Center, Summer Camps, Meeting Rooms and the LunchRoom.
The second entity will be the Calhoun County Cooperative, Inc., a Public Benefit Corporation. Under their umbrella will be an AirBnB, Cafe and Retail Space. Profits from those ventures will be used to help finance the operations running under the 501c3. Additional funding strategies come from start up funding of $1 Million and Sweat equity. Grant funds are being sought as well as corporate and private contributions.
To date $189,990.93 has been made through fundraising efforts and contributions with interest continuing to grow.
While the Foundation’s objectives continue to evolve, a focus on becoming a part of the National Historic Register and the utilization of the historic site as an education center for community is a large part of phase one. It is hoped that soon there will be a launch of summer camps, an upgrade to the farmers market that has been a community staple and opportunities for community involvement in events that will bring attention from local as well as regional visitors.
Ms. Mersh is planning to host a Town Hall Meeting in the not too distant future to allow the community to have a voice, and to feel that they’re a part of the revitalization of Calhoun County. She stated that her heart was broken when she returned to Calhoun County and discovered that a community that once had a fig hting spirit had lost it’s hope. She hopes that through the Calhoun County Community Center’s efforts, hope will be restored along side the beauty of this historical site.
The 1982 Foundation has also reached out to the Calhoun County Commission and requested their participation in working with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce who has shown great interest in Calhoun County’s desire to encourage people to move back into the area. The County Commission is currently working on their own County Plan and have told Ms. Mersh that the Foundation would be invited to the table, although the invitation has yet to be received.
