Perry To Donate To Miner’s Fund

My family has roots in West Virginia. My grandfather taught at West Virginia University, my mother grew up in Morgantown, and graduated from WVU, as did all her brothers and sisters. My brother and I also are graduates and proud Mountaineers. They’re good people in the Mountain State—hard working and in spite of all the jokes in the other 49, worth knowing.

So I smile when I see good things happening there. Like this: In the wake of the explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch mine on April 5, where 29 died, Kenny Perry has said that he will donate $2,000 for every birdie he makes at next month’s Greenbriar Classic to the families of the victims through the West Virginia Council of Churches. The owner of the Greenbriar will match the donation.

Perry is of course from Kentucky, another coal mining state and has a great deal of respect for the hard, hazardous work those people do to keep our lights on.

Kenny has long been a favorite player of mine and this just ups his status.