To the Editor,
The recent economic news from the first quarter of 2019 was encouraging as the unemployment level dropped in all 55 West Virginia counties. The economic shot in the arm that Tucker County received the weekend of April 26 – 28, 2019 was phenomenal as a result of The Canaan Valley Half Marathon. More than one thousand runners preregistered for the inaugural event with eight hundred and seventy actual participants taking to the course on a cool rainy Sunday morning at the Canaan Valley Ski Area.
While numerous agencies in Tucker County continue the hard work of developing new sources of positive economic growth to this area, people like Robby McLung bring the challenge and take the risk to create events that make a significant impact to all in Tucker County and this region. Robby is a native of Elkins, WV but grew up in the Florida Keys and has been producing road races and music festivals in Florida for some time now. He decided to come home and settle with his family in Davis and his impact is evident with the huge success of the CV Half Marathon.
Robby and his scores of volunteers organized the logistics necessary to pull this off. While they’re still crunching the numbers as I write this, there is no doubt the impact will show significant revenues in this “shoulder season” for tourism in Tucker County.
To Robby and all the risk taking business people in Tucker County, I’m certain your efforts will reflect continued growth in the most beautiful of all the Mountain States’ 55 Counties.
Andrew Snyder
President, Tucker County
Chamber of Commerce
