A local business, Clark Gas & Oil, donated $73,000 to more than 20 local nonprofits and six schools in its traditional round of giving back to the community.
Blair Clark, of the company, said the Clark family tries to support far-reaching organizations that serve as many people as possible. While some nonprofits receive an annual donation, he said the family always considers donating to new organizations.
Twenty-two organizations and six schools received donations last week, including Safety Rope; the Reynolds Homestead; Rotary Club of Stuart; Caring Hearts Free Clinic of Patrick County; the Patrick County Food Bank; the Patrick County Alzheimer’s Association, LLC; Patrick County Developmental Center; PARC Workshop; Dan River Basin Association (DRBA); Christmas Cheer of Patrick County; Bull Mountain Arts, Southside Survivor Response Center, Inc.; Ararat Volunteer Fire Department, CCDF Volunteer Fire Department; Meadows of Dan Volunteer Fire Department; Moorefield Store Volunteer Fire Department; Patrick Springs Volunteer Fire Department; Patrick Henry Volunteer Fire Department; Smith River Rescue Squad; Stuart Volunteer Fire Department; Vesta Rescue Squad; Woolwine Volunteer Fire Department, and JEB Stuart Rescue Squad.
Schools include the Meadows of Dan Elementary School, Stuart Elementary School, Hardin Reynolds Memorial School, Patrick Springs Primary School, Blue Ridge Elementary School, and Woolwine Elementary School.
The Clark family began the annual donation project in the early 1990s.
Blair Clark said his parents, B and Coates Clark, said, ‘if you’re going to be part of the community, be a part of the community.’ If we’ve been blessed, we like to bless other folks.”
Noting that he is “involved with fire and rescue, my father and sister,” Anna Lester, “are involved with Rotary, so we know a lot of the agencies,” Blair Clark said, and added that investing in the community through donations is a “passion of ours.”
The February 15 award ceremony in Stuart was “not about Clark Gas & Oil or the Clark family,” Blair Clark said. “It’s about the love ministries, and I just really like that they encompass the entire community.”
In total, the family/business donated $118,000 this year in the three counties in its service area, which includes Floyd and Carroll counties.
