WV Executive

Drive for 55 Fundraiser Purchases Ventilation Systems for Harrison County Humane Society

The Harrison County Humane Society on Saltwell Road will soon have new ventilation systems, thanks to the Drive for 55 Fundraiser. The event was coordinated and sponsored by Wilson Martino Dental, who challenged community members to donate funds and supplies for the newly renovated shelter.

Throughout the month of July, Dr. Robert Martino’s dental offices served as a drop-off center for donations of food, toys, blankets, cleaning supplies and monetary gifts. The goal of the fundraiser was to install new ventilation systems in the Harrison County Humane Society, a portion of the renovation that had not yet been completed due to lack of finances.

“Anyone that knows me, knows that my family and I love animals,” says Martino, who along with his wife Lori and their children own 9 dogs. “When we heard that our local no-kill shelter was in need of some new systems, our staff met with Laura Miller, director of the shelter and we came up with some ideas to help out. The contributions from our local community members and businesses were extremely valuable for this fundraiser – we could not have provided the upgraded ventilation without their help.”

The total amount raised during the Drive for 55 was $1,779.00 and with the matching check from Wilson Martino Dental, the total donation would have been $3,558.00. Instead, Dr. Robert Martino, Dr. Ken Wilson and their staff decided to increase their donation to bring the total amount up to the $5,500 needed for the project. The Harrison County Humane Society hopes to get the project underway as soon as possible.