Ground is broken at the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center for the first Fisher House in
West Virginia
EIGHTY FOUR, Pa. (Oct. 7, 2019) – Last Thursday, Oct. 3, 84 Lumber participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for West Virginia’s first Fisher House, set to be built at the Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington. When it opens, it will provide temporary housing at no cost for families whose loved ones are being treated at the facility.
Representing 84 Lumber at the ceremony were Ryan Frazier, an outside sales representative for the 84 Lumber in Huntington; and Amy Smiley, vice president of marketing. They were joined, among others, by Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia; Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs James M. Byrne; Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation Ken Fisher; and Medical Center Director J. Brian Nimmo to officially break ground on the property. Also in attendance was Hershel “Woody” Williams, a 96-year-old World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient whom the medical center is named after.
“A Fisher House here in Huntington is the least we can do to thank our West Virginia military members, veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice,” said Senator Manchin. “I thank my dear friend Ken Fisher for making this project a reality. Whether it is providing death benefits to families of the fallen during a government shutdown, or funding our very first Fisher House in West Virginia, Ken has worked alongside me to provide for West Virginia veterans. In 2018 alone, Fisher Houses served 32,000 families, and now, a Fisher House will serve West Virginians. This is an immense help to families across our state, and I am honored to be here today for the ground breaking of the Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams VAMC Fisher House.”
When complete, the 13,270-square-foot house will feature 16 suites as well as communal areas for cooking, dining, relaxing and laundry.
“Veterans issues are not something that you can just talk about on Veterans Day,” said Fisher. “These are real men and women with real issues. They served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe these men and women a debt we can never repay, but I’m happy that we can at least be there for their families when they need us the most. I thank Senator Manchin for his continued support to our military and veterans and in getting this Fisher House built at the Huntington VA.”
84 Lumber recently launched a national partnership with Fisher House Foundation to show its continued support for veterans and their families. In May, the company provided $25,000 to Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House and announced an additional $500,000 donation for Fisher House Foundation, which will help build new houses such as the one in Huntington.
“We were honored to donate $100,000 to help bring the Huntington Fisher House to life,” said Amy Smiley, vice president of marketing for 84 Lumber, who also participated in the ceremony. “It will serve countless families over the years during some of their most difficult times. 84 Lumber continues to be a staunch advocate of Fisher House Foundation and the tremendous work they’re doing.”