Record number raised for 34th Spirit of Beckley

Josephine Moore, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.
Updated ·5 min read

Dec. 11—A couple just as iconic in Beckley as the restaurants they run were honored Monday at the YMCA of Southern West Virginia's 34th Spirit of Beckley Dinner at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.

The recipients of this year's Spirit of Beckley award, Richard and Beth Jarrell, said they felt honored and blessed to be selected to receive an award that holds a special place in the hearts of many in Beckley.

"(The Spirit of Beckley) has a very rich legacy of people who believe in our community and believe in ... giving back and how to serve," said Richard Jarrell, the owner/operator of Beckley Chick-fil-As.

"We came here to serve, and we hope that's what we've done."

In addition to recognizing community leaders for their dedication and commitment to the area, the Spirit of Beckley also serves as the largest fundraiser of the year for the YMCA of Southern West Virginia's youth programs.

With a typical goal of raising $100,000, YMCA CEO Jay Rist said the Jarrells wanted to not only reach that goal but exceed it.

In what Richard Jarrell calls a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), Rist said the Jarrells set a goal of raising $150,000, which they not only met but exceeded.

"I'm pleased to announce that we hit $154,000," Rist said, adding that the record-breaking amount raised speaks to the kind of people the Jarrells are that so many would choose to donate in their name.

"They do so much, whether it's the work with Beckley Area Foundation, the Raleigh County Board of Education, sponsoring things for the Y, leading the United Way's campaign, there's so much that has been done, and it's just a huge list," Rist said. "But that's what the Spirit of Beckley really celebrates, is what the recipients do for the community, and they have done a lot."

Richard Jarrell said he's proud to be sharing the award with his wife and considers their work a privilege that they "get to do" not one that they've "got to do."

"There's get tos in life and there's got tos," he said. "And we get to do what we do together. We get to do life together. We've done a family together, and we get to do community together. So that's what makes it what it's all about."

Beth Jarrell said giving back is an essential part of being in a community as it's a way to help bring people together.

"We've been given much. We've been richly blessed, and we want to give back and help others and just enjoy our community," Beth Jarrell said.

Richard and Beth Jarrell said they give credit for the work they do for the community to the past recipients of the Spirit of Beckley, who showed them the way.

"We follow a rich legacy," Richard Jarrell said. "We've learned from these folks before us, and we want to be those folks to a new generation. We want to teach new young kids, who worked for us or we work with in the community, what philanthropy is about, what community is about and how to serve, as others have taught us to."

Teaching the youth about philanthropy is a cause particularly near and dear to Beth Jarrell's heart, which is evident in her work with the Beckley Area Foundation, where she helped found the Susan Landis Youth Philanthropist (SLYP) group.

Rist said students in the SLYP program were guests at the Spirit of Beckley dinner, which served as yet another teaching opportunity for the students who will hopefully one day fill the shoes of the Jarrells and other past Spirit of Beckley recipients.

"(The SLYP program) allows students to learn about what it means to give back to the community," Rist said. "These SLYP students get to see the culmination of the fundraising event for the Y, the celebration for the Jarrells and how a community comes together to make all of this happen. And I think that's an important aspect of the whole thing is there's a lot of learning involved too."

Leading the fundraising effort as the co-chairs on behalf of the Jarrells were former Spirit of Beckley recipient Bill O'Brien, president/CEO of the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce Michelle Rotellini and longtime friend of the Jarrell family Alicia Lett.

Lett said she could not think of two people more deserving of the Spirit of Beckley award, which was evident from all the generous donations they received.

"Before I could even say why I was calling, they were like, 'Oh, are you calling about the Spirit of Beckley? We're in! What do you need?'" Lett said. "It was just great to see all of the things they've done over all of the years, have really just brought this community together. And this night is a culmination of that."

Rotellini said she felt honored to be asked to step up for a couple that has always stepped up for the Beckley community.

"I don't think that they've ever said no," Rotellini said. "They think about what they can do, how they can get involved. They're creative ... They've given so much of themselves to this community."

O'Brien said he too was struck by the wave of community members who were excited to contribute to a cause in the name of such an inspiring couple.

"People realize how much they've given to this community," O'Brien said.