Eastern West Virginia AHEC donates $75,000 from Freedom’s Run Grant Fund to support local healthcare initiatives

Grants to support initiatives at WVU School of Medicine and beyond

The Eastern West Virginia Area Health Education Center, a local nonprofit partnered with the WVU School of Medicine’s Eastern Campus, will distribute $75,000 in small community grants to support local healthcare initiatives across the region.

This funding will benefit a total of 18 community projects, spanning areas such as education, trail building, health and wellness, historic preservation, local agriculture and social services. See the full list of recipients below:

  • Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle
  • Brian O’Neill Jr. Foundation
  • Community Outreach Resources and Education (CORE) Team
  • Eliza’s House
  • Girls on the Run Shenandoah Valley
  • Grant Memorial Hospital Cancer Survivorship Committee
  • Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation
  • Healthcare is Human
  • Jefferson GAP Coalition
  • Martinsburg High School
  • The Martinsburg Initiative
  • Potomac Valley Audubon Society
  • Project Linus Eastern Panhandle WV
  • Semper Liberi
  • Shepherdstown Community Club
  • Sleep in Heavenly Peace WV-Berkely County
  • Spring Mills Satellite Rotary Club
  • WV FresHealthy Bucks

“We believe in the power of community-driven solutions,” said Richard Thomas, M.D., DDS, chair for the Eastern West Virginia AHEC board of directors and dean for the School of Medicine’s Eastern Campus. “By providing these grants, we aim to empower local changemakers who are addressing key issues and driving positive change from within.”

The funding for these grants was provided by the Freedom’s Run Race Series, an Eastern West Virginia AHEC fundraising initiative consisting of three community races co-founded and directed by Department of Family Medicine Eastern Division professor Mark Cucuzzella, M.D., FAAFP. Proceeds from all Freedom’s Run events go towards the Freedom’s Run Grant Fund, which is then reinvested into the community.

“We are incredibly grateful to our community sponsors, who have provided us with invaluable support since we first launched Freedom’s Run 16 years ago,” Dr. Cucuzzella said. “Without them, we would not be able to raise these funds which have helped us make such a significant impact on healthcare initiatives across our region.”

The Eastern West Virginia AHEC has been committed to fostering local empowerment and collaborations since its founding in 2002. Fundraising through Freedom’s Run has contributed more than $300,000 directly to local community projects and has assisted with multiple matching grants that have provided resources, funding and support to numerous community healthcare initiatives. 

The West Virginia Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program aims to bridge the gap between academic medicine and local community health needs by addressing rural health disparities and encouraging cooperation between rural communities and healthcare professionals.

To learn more about the West Virginia AHEC Program at WVU, visit health.wvu.edu/west-virginia-area-health-education-center.

To learn more about Freedom’s Run, including how to sign up for the upcoming Harpers Ferry Half Marathon and 5k in May, visit freedomsrun.org.