Photo Provided Belmont County officials gather this past weekend to raise money to help keep children off drugs and to give away a new Jeep. From front left are Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas; Western Division Judge Eric Costine; Robert Thomas, vice president of Thomas Auto Centers; event Chairman Kirke Porterfield; Common Pleas Judge John Vavra; Common Pleas Judge and Rotarian Frank Fregiato; and St. Clairsville Rotary Secretary Lisa Kazmirski. Second row, from left: Belmont County Clerk of Courts Cynthia Fregiato; state Senator Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction; Probate/Juvenile Judge Albert Davies; state Rep. Don Jones, R-Cadiz; and St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce Director Wendy Anderson.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Local businesses, organizations and officials partnered in recent weeks to raise nearly $50,000 to help keep students off illegal drugs.

Those involved gathered at the Ohio Valley Mall on Saturday for a ticket drawing to give away a new Jeep Wrangler. More than 9,440 tickets were sold overall, with more than $44,000 in net proceeds going to the Belmont County Schools Staying Clean club.

The money is earmarked to go to chapters of the student club across Belmont County to help educate them about the dangers of illegal drug use. The morning and noon St. Clairsville Rotary clubs partnered on the effort, and St. Clairsville business owner Kirke Porterfield, a Rotarian, spearheaded the ticket sales.

Porterfield said Trishia Headley of Adena won the drawing for the Jeep. He noted that Headley bought her ticket from a Staying Clean club member.

“It was a great time, a great event and, hopefully, we were able to help out a lot of kids,” Porterfield said.

He also noted that the Ohio Valley Mall was very supportive of the effort, allowing organizers to use the public address system to spur more ticket sales as the drawing approached. Although tickets were sold for a couple of months, Porterfield said by making periodic announcements throughout the day Saturday, participants were able to sell about 400 tickets at the mall that day alone.

Stacey Longenette, a volunteer with the drug-free club, previously said the funds raised will go toward incentives and group activities for the participants in the Staying Clean Club, as well as an end-of-year celebration at Barkcamp State Park.

“We’re very appreciative of the St. Clairsville Rotary Club,” Longenette said. “They’ve donated to our organization every year in the past, and this is a huge donation we would be receiving.”

The Staying Clean Club includes Belmont County students in seventh through 12th grades. There are about 1,600 members who are drug-tested four to six times per year.

A wide variety of local businesses participated in the project. These included sponsors such as gas and oil companies as well as local shops that served as ticket vendors.

Among the sponsors and supporters were Sheriff Dave Lucas, Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, county judges, Huntington Bank, Rough Cut, EQT, Sam’s Club, Porterfield’s Drive Thru, Naylor Bros. Towing, Jacob & Sons Meat Packing, the Italian-American Citizens Club, Hanover Fuel Stop, Kirke’s Homemade Ice Cream, Stewart’s RV Center, Belmont Equipment Sales, Thomas Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM and the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce.