The West Virginia Line First Responder Appreciation & Fundraising Weekend
A future West Virginia event built to honor the people who show up for us.
Current Planning Status
This event is actively being planned by Cecil Odell Music LLC. No official date, venue, or ticket structure has been finalized at this time. What we can say is that the response has been encouraging. More than a dozen departments, vendors, food trucks, and businesses have already expressed interest in being part of what we are building. We are in the early stages of turning a real vision into a real event, and we are doing it the right way.
The Vision
The goal is a family-friendly, statewide appreciation and fundraising weekend that brings together the full spectrum of West Virginia's first responder community. That means fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, dispatch, rescue squads, tow and recovery, emergency management, forestry, DNR, nurses, and veterans. It means department trucks and equipment displays that give families a chance to see the tools and people who protect them. It means food trucks, vendors, West Virginia musicians, sponsors, family activities, public safety awareness, and real fundraising opportunities for the organizations that need support. This is not a small idea. It is meant to grow into something West Virginia can be proud of for years to come.
Why This Matters
West Virginia first responders serve communities across every county in this state. They answer calls in the middle of the night, in the worst weather, with limited resources and without enough recognition. The goal of this event is to build something real and tangible to honor them, to give their communities a chance to show up for them the way they show up for us, and to raise funds that can make a direct difference for the organizations doing the work.
What We Need
Pulling off an event of this scale takes a wide network of people and organizations willing to help build it. We are actively looking to connect with:
- Community leaders and county officials
- State officials and public servants
- First responder organizations and department leadership
- Business owners and corporate sponsors
- Venue contacts and fairgrounds operators
- Insurance agencies familiar with public events
- Accounting and financial services
- Attorney services for event and nonprofit guidance
- Experienced event planners and coordinators
- Food trucks and concession vendors
- Craft vendors, artisans, and exhibitors
- West Virginia musicians and performers
- Volunteers ready to help in any capacity
If you fall into any of these categories or know someone who does, we want to hear from you.
Venue Needs
An event of this nature requires the right space. A fairgrounds-style venue would likely be the best fit, with room for department trucks and equipment displays, food trucks, vendor booths, a music stage, family activity areas, adequate parking, emergency vehicle access, restroom facilities, and space to grow as the event expands. If you have a connection to a venue that could work, we would welcome that conversation.
Planning Fund
The GoFundMe planning fund is intended to help cover documented startup and planning costs as this event takes shape. Contributions may be used for expenses such as venue research and possible deposits, insurance guidance, permitting research, planning tools, printing and promotional materials, legal, accounting, and compliance consultation, community outreach, layout planning, and safety planning. None of this happens without resources, and every contribution helps move the process forward.
Get Involved
If you can help advise, connect, sponsor, volunteer, organize, plan, manage, promote, or point us toward the right resources, we want to hear from you. This event will be built by people who care about West Virginia and the men and women who serve it.