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Kathleen Panek
JAMIE NULL
KATHLEEN PANEK
In 2008, Kathleen Panek decided to
offer a free room at the Gillum House Bed
& Breakfast (B&B) in Shinnston, WV,
for a veteran on Veterans Day. The lucky
recipient was a young sailor who stayed
at the B&B with his wife and their new
baby while visiting family in Fairmont.
That first visit sparked an effort to
thank active military and veterans for
their service that rapidly spread not only
across the Mountain State but through-
out the world. A year later, nine other
members of the West Virginia Bed &
Breakfast Association began offering
a free room to a veteran on the night
of November 10 so they could enjoy
Veterans Day celebrations or visit family.
“Was I the first person who ever gave a
free room to a veteran? No,” says Panek.
“What I did was take it international.”
Panek’s inspiration to further grow
what is now known as the B&Bs for
Vets program came during a conference
she attended in 2010. The guest speaker
asked audience members to discuss why
tourists aren’t as drawn to B&Bs. While
others focused on stereotypes, Panek began
thinking about the Veterans Day effort
she had begun and how she could help
the military population see the world of
B&Bs in a different light.
“I immediately went home and started
sending emails to state B&B associations,
small regional associations and individual
B&Bs, asking them to join in this effort
to thank our veterans,” she says.
As a result, several West Virginia B&B
owners joined Panek’s commitment to
the cause, followed by the Kansas Bed &
Breakfast Association and then Wyoming.
Panek’s efforts went nationwide when
Jeanne Muir and Jim Ford, owners of the
18
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
Thomas Shepherd Inn in Shepherdstown,
created the website www.bandbsforvets.
org. The site allows users to find free rooms
by location on an interactive map.
Once the website was created to show
how B&B listings for veterans could be
found, other B&Bs signed up to show their
thanks as well. Soon, requests for par-
ticipation began coming in from abroad,
including Canada, Costa Rica, France,
Mexico, Namibia and Puerto Rice. In the
U.S., 900 rooms were offered to veterans
for Veterans Day that year.
To date, Panek has hosted 18 veterans
at Gillum House Bed & Breakfast from
West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina,
Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and
Illinois.
“They thank me as I am trying to
thank them,” she says.
B&Bs for Vets is sponsored by the
Association of Independent Hospitality
Professionals in partnership with the
Professional Association of Innkeepers
International (PAII). Panek was recog-
nized for her work with the program
when she was named the recipient of the
PAII’s Champion Award.
Panek comes from a family rich in
military values and experience, and she
says she created B&Bs for Vets as a way
to thank veterans for their service and
shine a light on the B&B industry. She is
also quick to make sure that any spouses
on the trips feel appreciated for their
sacrifices as well. This year, Panek was
able to host a family from Morgantown
who didn’t have any connections in the
area and needed a small getaway.
“I was able to give them two rooms with
a shared bathroom. They said it was a
blessing to them because it allowed them
to spend family time exploring another
area of the state,” she says.
Panek plans to continue the program in
2020 and hopes it will keep on growing.
“Our military and their families sac-
rifice a lot to keep this country safe and
strong. B&Bs for Vets is a way to tan-
gentially give back,” says Panek. “People
need to show that they recognize and
appreciate those sacrifices because we all
want to feel appreciated for what we do,
and we need to show that to the people
who are keeping us safe.”