WVU defensive coordinator Tony Gibson received a wonderful Christmas present this past Thursday night.
The warm feeling within, that is, one gets from giving.
Perhaps you know the setup. Gibson hails from the Mountain State and attended Van High in Boone County. He left the county and traveled the country, climbing the coaching ranks. Today, "Gibby" is one of the nation's most respected defensive coordinators. WVU went 10-2 this past regular season and is set to appear in the Russell Athletic Bowl against Miami.
The Mountaineers break camp Sunday for family time before gathering again in Morgantown on Dec. 23. ("We're all good," Gibson said. "[Safety] Kyzir [White] is good and practicing. Everything has been good.")
The defensive coordinator, however, made a quick dash from camp at the end of last week. To do good. To give.
As folks in the Charleston area know all too well, southern West Virginia has been hit hard by the coal industry's downturn. And perhaps no area has been hit as hard as where Gibson grew up.
The 10-mile stretch near Wharton in Boone County once held more coal mines than in any area of West Virginia. Yet times are tough there now. Many are laid off or simply out of work.
Gibson gave $25,000 in July to the county's hospital for a building project. But he knew Christmas could be a particularly tough time for those there.
So the coach planned. He got area community leader Denver Allen involved. He got his brother and sister-in-law Chuck and Stephanie Gibson, who live in Van, involved. He reached out to folks like Van High principal Shane Griffith to help identify families in need.
And Gibson and crew put together a Christmas fund through the Boone County Community Foundation.
"My name is attached to this," Gibson said, "but I had help. And if it wasn't for the other major contributors, I couldn't have done this."
What "this" turned into was a $375 lift for 53 families in Boone County. Major donors like Gibson and his wife Kerry, Astorg Auto, Greg Darby of Little General, Steve and Jamie Antoline, Wayne and Kathy Richards, Johnny Cagagis, Lara Bowen of Larry's Pharmacy in Madison and Bill Stone helped pony up over $34,000.
"We had other people give $100," Gibson said. "One person dropped off two $20 bills."
It all helped. Gibson and company gave each of the 53 families a $150 gift card to a grocery store, a $225 gift card to Walmart, plus a turkey.
"We got in contact with the families and asked them to show up [Thursday] at Van," Gibson said.
The defensive coordinator made it to the event via his friend and pilot Mike McWhorter, who donated the flight there and back to Charleston for the cause. ("I call him McFly," Gibson said with a laugh.)
The coach, wife Kerry and children Cody and Ashton went to Van for the event.
"We targeted coal mining families," Gibson said. "And when I went in there I saw friends and faces of those that helped me out when I was young."
He paused.
"It was a humbling experience. I saw all the smiles when we got there. Everyone seemed appreciative. It was a good deal."
Gibson said there was a bonus present. Around $10,000 was left over from that raised this year to help with next year. He wants to make the giving an annual event.
"That's what Christmas is all about: giving," Gibson said. "I saw so many different kids that night. I saw some tears. I saw some joy.
"To know we were able to make Christmas better for 53 families is a phenomenal feeling."
And nothing embodies the holiday season like that warmth experienced through giving.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.