BRCCC Foundation
Mission Statement
The BRCCC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was established by the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce in 2016. The foundation exists to support leadership development, small business initiatives and community beautification projects that enhance the Beckley-Raleigh County region to improve quality of life, attract new businesses, grow the workforce and drive tourism traffic.
Goals
One of the main goals of the BRCCC Foundation is to work on the continual upgrading and improvement of our “product” which is our community. With the designation of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the foundation has made it a priority to address the appearance of our community.
One way to improve the appearance of the community is to add public art. A proliferation of arts projects in a community demonstrates an appreciation of creativity and diversity which can create the kind of quality of place that attracts others.
We are excited to demonstrate the diversity, creativity, recreational opportunities and natural beauty found in our Beckley / Raleigh County region with two massive 50 foot murals that will be painted on the two I 64 Bridge Piers located in Glen Morgan along Beaver Creek as you enter Beckley from the South.
Our artists, Melissa Doty and Nicole Westfall, have designed a colorful, modern configuration of scenes and icons that will span three sides of each pier. This way, there are six distinct sides that provide a burst of color and representative activities no matter which direction you are coming from. The artists have captured the activities available in our area: mountain biking, fishing, hiking, climbing, and kayaking. They’ve also included animals that are native to WV: the cardinal, a black bear, a great horned owl, the brown trout and a monarch butterfly. Local flora include rhododendron, dogwood leaves and flowers, and jewelweed.
The murals are bold, eye-catching and energetic, and very, very different from anything else in the state! There is truly something for everyone, and we are very pleased about how this will put Beckley / Raleigh County and Piney Creek on everyone’s map!
The murals are scheduled to be installed late May 2023!
Glen Morgan Bridge Pier Project
Help Support Our Projects
The BRCCC Foundation is requesting funds and volunteers to improve the appearance of our community. Whether you can get out and participate in a litter clean up or donate money to offset the cost of the mural, just being involved will mean so much to your community!
- We currently have pledges of $7000 from community members.
- The Carter Family Foundation has given $5000.
- The Buckner Woodford Clay Fund has made a commitment for the landscaping and signage around the murals.
- Other grants have been submitted to Truist WV Foundation, Beckley Area Foundation and the Vecellio Family Foundation.
- United Rentals has agreed to donate the installation equipment.
- The Raleigh County Make It Shine Committee will donate their time to keep the area clean.
Other BRCCC Foundation Projects
Other beautification and environmental accomplishments of the BRCCC Foundation:
> Spring and Fall cleanups which resulted in thousands of pounds of litter being removed from highways, public properties and creeks.
> Hiring workers to paint over graffiti, repair concrete and stonework, uncover overgrown sidewalks and remove weeds.
> Developing a 3 month mass media anti-litter campaign that ran through December 2022. Through this media campaign we showed our community that beautifying and cleaning up the area is not just the responsibility of a foundation like ours but all of us who live, work and play here. We are encouraging businesses, organizations, residents, schools and churches to work together to really make a difference in cleaning up our streets, neighborhoods and businesses. It is our hope that our local businesses and land owners will get on board and work with us to improve their property’s appearance by painting and repairing buildings, removing old signage, not using their property as a storage yard for old equipment and junk, landscaping and mowing green spaces and of course picking up litter.
