Where do we begin? We must start with a special thanks to the fearless first responders who came to Main Street on May 26th to put out a blazing building. To the firefighters and police officers of Frostburg and our surrounding towns, as a community we cannot thank you enough for keeping us all safe. As many of you know, the Conklin’s peaceful lives turned upside down after their loss to a devastating fire. We rejoice that they survived without injuries or death; nonetheless, their rejoicing is hindered by the realization that they must depend on their neighbors to help them rebuild, because they have lost everything. We pray they are trying to keep all of the what ifs out of their minds. The Conklin’s certainly have a long road ahead, but it will be comforting if the community lets them know that they are not alone. True community is one in which we all pull together to help rebuild when tragedy occurs. The Conklin’s owned two Main Street businesses: The Dawg House Bar and Grill and Music Express, a traveling DJ service. The blaze destroyed all equipment for both of these establishments. For those who do not personally know the Conklin’s, let it be known that their generosity and commitment to Frostburg are undeniable. Almost monthly Wayne and Sue donate countless hours and thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment to help to firefighters throughout Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Wayne has hosted cash bashes, dinners, raffles, and Bingo games to raise money for the VFDs to buy new equipment and cover other expensive costs. The music equipment lost in the fire was an asset to make those events enjoyable for all. The Conklin’s list of openheartedness goes on. They are strong supporters of the Special Olympics, and it is typical to see the Conklin family with several special needs individuals on a daily basis. Many of these Olympians refer to Wayne as “Dad.” The Conklin’s often pack a van full of athletes for walkathons and bowlathons, where they engage the special youths in a family fun environment while raising money for the cause. The time they invest in these athletes could fill a full time job, but the out pouring of volunteering does not stop here. Mr. Conklin is also the president of the “The Bobby Preston Memorial Fund” which is a nonprofit organization, operating under the Foundation for Frostburg. The goal of the organization is to construct an amphitheater and a wall of honor in Bobby Preston’s name at the Parris Glendening Recreation Complex. The amphitheater will serve as a gathering place for local events benefiting our community. The wall of honor will recognize deserving citizens for their civic contributions and community involvement. Wayne has lead this committee in raising over $25,000 in a just a few short years. He also offers opportunities for other nonprofits to earn money by inviting them to take part in Preston events. Words cannot express the giving heart the Conklin gives to the community. This is a time to pay it forward to them. If you cannot help financially, the least you can do is write a card to the family or offer your assistance. They have selflessly changed so many lives, now together we can change theirs. gofundme/9ljgwo
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 14:18:37 +0000
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