TENNERTON — The local Christian men’s group, Band of Brothers, met their fundraising goal of raising $40,000 this holiday season to support at-risk and disadvantaged youth who have faced adverse childhood experiences.

Part of their mission was to give back locally, and two weeks before Christmas, on Dec. 13 at the county bus garage near Buckhannon-Upshur Middle Schools, they did just that with two significant financial donations. One of those donations in the amount of $6,000 was delivered to Upshur County Schools for youth who had been discreetly identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged or at-risk by Upshur County Schools bus drivers.

The bus drivers identified about 33 youth, and schools administrators planned to shop for Christmas presents for them. Many of the presents requested by older pre-teens and teens weren’t toys but qualified as basic necessities like hygiene products, gas cards and gift cards for food. Then, the bus drivers planned to distribute the presents.

BOB members — including local photographer Al Tucker, Kevin Hawkins, Tim Rock, Larry Williams and others — also donated $2,000 to the Upshur County Grandfamilies program the same day. Upshur County Family Resource Network Executive Director Lori Ulderich Harvey, who organization coordinates the initiative locally, was on hand to receive the check.