NEWS RELEASE – September 4, 2025
ARH Foundation donates $10,000 to
United Way of Southern West Virginia
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Beckley ARH CEO Todd Howell joined Summers County ARH CEO/CNO Angela Rivera Thursday morning to present two $5,000 donations to the United Way of Southern West Virginia.
The donations, presented on behalf of the ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities, were made in support of the United Way’s Equal Footing Shoe Program as well as in support of Howell and Tammy Hancock Cline, who are competing in the organization’s annual Dancing with the Stars fundraiser.
Trena Dacal, Executive Director of the United Way of Southern West Virginia, said she is grateful for both donations, as well as for the partnership with ARH.
“ARH is an incredible community partner of United Way of Southern West Virginia,” she said. “Both organizations serve southern West Virginia with similar missions, and we appreciate the collaboration and support they provide.”
Through its Equal Footing Shoe Program, the United Way provides more than 1,000 pairs of new tennis shoes annually to children in need in Fayette, Raleigh, Nicholas, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer and Summers Counties, as well as Bluefield, Va.
ARH Foundation Executive Director Angela Bailey said providing assistance to such projects is central to the foundation’s mission.
“At the ARH Foundation, we see every day how something as simple as a good pair of shoes can change a child’s school experience,” she said. “When kids are comfortable and confident, they can focus on learning, friendships, and just being kids. We’re honored to partner with the United Way of Southern West Virginia on this project, because together we can make sure more children have what they need to thrive.”
Bailey said the same motivation was behind the foundation’s donation for Dancing with the Stars.
“It is such a wonderful way to celebrate community spirit while raising support for important programs,” she said of the fundraiser. “We’re honored to stand behind this event and all it represents for families in southern West Virginia, and we’re especially proud to cheer on Todd as he takes the stage.
“His commitment to this cause reflects the same dedication he shows every day, and the ARH Foundation is happy to support him in this effort.”
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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs approximately 6,700 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.