By Maggie Susa, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON — This year, every public school in West Virginia will receive a check for $1,500 to fund students’ needs.
Marshall University, in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Education, hosted a “Keep the Ball Rolling” event at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center on Monday morning to celebrate the donations.
The “Keep the Ball Rolling” title is a play on the name of car dealer Shawn Ball, owner of L&S Toyota of Beckley, Advantage Toyota in Barboursville and Ball Toyota of Charleston, who is behind the philanthropic effort.
In the past, Ball has funded food and clothing pantries in Raleigh County schools, and in 2024, he helped fund 248 public school pantries in West Virginia, along with the food pantry at Marshall, which is called Marco’s Market and More.
He said Monday he worries about essential needs of children not being met.
“What are they gonna do? Because they’re not gonna learn,” he said. “They don’t care about learning, they worry about survival.”