BUCKHANNON – Buckhannon Toyota on Tuesday made a donation of $5,000 to the recently created nonprofit organization, the SETH Project.

General manager Kip Cottrill said those at Buckhannon Toyota wanted to assist Seth Poling and help the SETH Project get rolling.

“We think the world of Seth and the whole family,” Cottrill said. “We want to help the SETH Project get going and help get some publicity out there. We are fully behind this cause.”

SETH Project members Kimberly Cabrera, Jeffrey Sandy and Lauren Lamb accepted the $5,000 donation from Buckhannon Toyota General Manager Kip Cottrill. Sandy said the SETH Project is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that was founded by Seth Poling and a group of his high school friends and classmates.

“Our main purpose is to promote scholarship, research and advancement in the fight against ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease),” Sandy said. “This will include a local scholarship at Buckhannon-Upshur High School that we plan to award every year which will go to a student in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) career that can have a daily impact on the lives of people who have ALS – whether that is through medicine itself or technology.”

Seth Poling grew up in Buckhannon before moving to Morgantown and is the son of Holt and Mary Alice Poling. He has a sister, Brittany Alden, who serves on the SETH Project Board of Directors. He graduated from B-UHS in 2005, and he and his wife Erika have two children, Liam Seth and Bayler Michael Poling.

Seth received his ALS diagnosis in June 2017, but he suffered through symptoms of ALS for four years prior.

“We also want to be involved in community awareness efforts,” Sandy said. “We want people to become more aware of ALS and how they can help people who have ALS. We also want people to know what resources are available to those with ALS and that stems from Seth’s experiences.”

Sandy said Seth has had both positive and negative experiences since his diagnosis of ALS.

“We want to focus on helping people learn what services are available, dealing with insurance companies and how to get equipment for those with ALS,” Sandy said. “We want to help people find support groups as well.”

Sandy said the SETH Project was approved as a nonprofit organization in the fall, and the group has been operating, ironing out logistics, raising awareness and searching for funding sources ever since. He said the easiest way for people to get involved with the SETH Project is to visit, like and follow their Facebook page.

“If people want to become more involved by volunteering or making a donation, they can go to the Facebook link or send us a message,” Sandy said. “Not everyone is in the position to give money, but we also need help so people can donate their time.”

Lamb said it is an honor to have been given the generous donation from Buckhannon Toyota.

“Being that Seth is from Buckhannon, it is meaningful that our hometown is supporting our organization and giving to help us get started,” Lamb said.

Sandy invites everyone to stay tuned and keep following the SETH Project.

“We will be planning events throughout the year,” Sandy said. “We hope to have some community fundraisers which will include runs and other outdoor activities. Everyone please be on the lookout for that and get involved.”