The summits will kick off the Be a Game Changer campaign.
The campaign’s website, www.wvgamechanger.com, when
completed, will encourage both teens and all West Virginia
residents to find a way to make a difference and share informa-
tion with those who need help. T-shirts, stickers and other
items featuring the “I’m a game changer” slogan will be sold.
The September summits will precede a leadership conference
to be held later in the year that will be centered around programs
in schools and communities.
“Today’s students face many social and economic challenges,”
says West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools Steven
Paine. “The opioid crisis has hit West Virginia especially hard,
and we must take every step possible to keep students safe and
healthy so they can reach their highest potential.”
Don Robinson, executive vice president and chief financial
officer for MVB Bank, is a father of seven children in West
Virginia schools and was part of the team that birthed the idea
for this initiative. According to him, the original plan was to
have a one-time event with speakers raising awareness, but it
didn’t take the team long to realize this would need to be a
long-term effort with multiple players.
“It’s in the news every day,” he says. “Let’s stop talking
about it and start doing something.”
Robinson believes the business community, which has been
tremendously affected by the crisis, can play a pivotal role in
this effort. “The more we can get the business community
involved, the bigger the impact it will have,” he says.
Businesses can contribute funds to the initiative’s preven-
tion efforts, which will be focused on expressing the message
to children before it’s too late. Businesses can also support
recovery programs, create scholarships to help those in recovery
get the education they need for a brighter future, encourage
their employees to be mentors or hire those in recovery who
need solid jobs in order to turn their lives around.
“Decent jobs give people the impetus to get clean and stay
clean,” says Boczek. “When they don’t have good jobs, their
self-esteem takes a hit, which makes it all the more tempting
to turn back to old habits. Also, those who secure good jobs
can spend their earnings to strengthen their local economies.”
Boczek saw the effects of addiction play out in his own
family when his daughter, a former all-state basketball player,
struggled with substance use disorder. She has been clean for
nine years and has a good job with a living wage and benefits,
which makes a world of difference in the recovery process.
“Everyone deserves to make a decent living,” he says. “They
have to have a good life ahead of them that they can see.
That’s why WVU and Marshall coming to the forefront of this
initiative is so important.”
Both WVU President Gordon Gee and Marshall University
President Jerome Gilbert attended a news conference in June
to show their support for the opioid awareness summits, and
both cited ongoing efforts at their universities to address needs
related to substance use disorder, pointing out that prevention
is critical.
Gee, who understands that young people are the future of
the state, is a strong supporter of efforts like these to combat
the opioid problem that is holding them back. “We have to do
everything in our power to ensure they are given an opportunity
to succeed,” he says.
Be a Game Changer Events
September 17, 2019
WVU Coliseum
Morgantown
September 18, 2019
Marshall University’s Cam Henderson Center
Huntington
To register for an opioid summit, find out about the live stream
or receive more information, visit www.wvgamechanger.com or
contact Joe Boczek at (304) 288-5924 or [email protected].
According to Gilbert, Marshall University has been working
with partners over the past several years to tackle this issue that
impacts the core values of West Virginians, and he is proud to
lead his university in its involvement in this effort.
“We look at this new initiative as a tremendous opportunity,
and we are very happy to be a part of it,” he says.
The Be a Game Changer campaign is a multifaceted ap-
proach to prevention that offers an opportunity for all who
want to change the opioid addiction game in West Virginia.
“This campaign is a call to action to be a leader,” says
Robinson. “We see people already asking, ‘How do we get
involved?’ Everyone is facing the same challenge. It’s been
amazing to see the support. The universities and everyone
involved have been phenomenal. It’s rare to have an initiative
that so many people get behind so quickly.”
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
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