On Nov. 13, 1925, a group of 25 Martinsburg businessmen formed a civic group, the Martinsburg Booster Association, to benefit the welfare of the local community. The first officers were President J. Ealor Dilling, secretary Blair R. Bice and treasurer W. Ura Skyles.

Today, Bice’s grandson, Richard Bice, is treasurer.

The idea behind the association was and continues to be to promote business, commercial and civic interests of the area.

During the last 100 years, the association has promoted improvements in the community, raised money for local children and adult programs and organizations and supported efforts to bring new industry into the area.

Courtesy photo / Members of the Martinsburg Booster Association cook chicken for their BBQ fundraiser earlier this year.

“It is a community service organization looking for ways to provide volunteer service and monetary funding,” explained secretary Roseanne Conrad. “We look at special needs from organizations to see how we can help.”

One of the group’s first tasks was to work with Morrisons Cove Memorial Park, which was incorporated in 1921.

“When the park opened it was a field of oak trees, we wanted it to be a park to serve the Cove. They needed funding and volunteer manpower to build what they envisioned. A lot of members of the boosters helped create the first board of directors at the park,” Conrad said.

The boosters played a key role with the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company helping it buy its first truck in 1930 by raising $1,806 toward the purchase.

Edgar Lykens, a charter member and grandfather of current president Ed Kreider, was instrumental in that effort, Bice said.

The Boosters also played a role in bringing in businesses, including the Green Giant Cannery in 1937. Members worked with the borough to assure that adequate water would be available for cannery operations and members canvassed farmers to assure at least 1,500 acres would be planted in corn.

In 1951, members of the Booster Association formed the Morrisons Cove Industrial Development Corp. to finance the building of the Martinsburg Shoe Factory. Bonds were sold to the public with a first mortgage on the premises. More funds were raised as two more expansions occurred. In 1963 the bonds were paid off as ownership was transferred.

In 1972, Booster members saw the need for low-income housing and were instrumental in creating the Martinsburg Community Housing Corp. That resulted in 42 apartments (Showalter Apartments) being built in the borough. They are named after the late Booster David Showalter.

Over the years the Boosters have helped with a number of other projects.

In 1979, the Boosters fulfilled their pledge of $10,000 toward the new building at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. Then, in 2016, under the leadership of Conrad, the Boosters raised over $24,000 to renovate the Acorn Cove Play Park at the park.

The Boosters joined PennDOT’s Adopt-AHighway program in 1993 and continued to pick up trash on Route 164 between Martinsburg and Fredericksburg.

Donations, fundraising efforts

In 2016, the Booster Association became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning Donors can make tax deductible contributions, gifts and bequests to Boosters under Section 170 of the IRS Code.

The Boosters are funded through donations and fund raising events. The annual chicken barbecue held in July as part of the Cove Carnival is the biggest fundraiser.

“The whole group comes together, we raise a lot of funds that we give back to the community. All of the money we raise goes into a fund that goes back to the community,” Conrad said.

“We net about $8,000 from the chicken barbecue,” Bice said.

The boosters recently received a $10,000 donation from the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation.

“In celebration of CPCF’s 30th anniversary, we selected three organizations in Blair County to each receive a $10,000 grant. We were impressed with all the projects that the Martinsburg Booster Association has done and wanted to recognize their 100th anniversary with an opportunity to do even more,” said Executive Director Jodi Cessna. “It is rare for a volunteer organization, especially one that isn’t part of a state or national organization, to have this longevity. We are proud to have them in our community.”

Each year the Boosters donate about $10,000 to nonprofits such as the park, Martinsburg fire company, library, food pantry, community fund, Boy Scouts, Dragon Backpack, John’s Way Medical Equipment Ministries, Cove Christmas Love, JUMC Angel Feet Ministries, Naomi’s Nursery Blessings and others.

The organization has about 80 members today with some members having family connections.

For example, the first woman president of the Boosters was Janet Kreider elected in 1994. Her father, Ed Lykens, a charter member, was president of Boosters in 1943. Her son Ed Kreider is the current Booster president.

“We have to live up to the legacy,” Bice said.

A challenge is to recruit new members.

“We would be happy if more young people would join our group, we are aging and losing members. We would like to encourage some younger people to take the reins. We have lost a lot of people through deaths. That creates a void,” Conrad said.

Members are excited to reach 100 years.

“It is a pretty big deal, we may be one of the oldest civic organizations in Blair County. I think what keeps us going is looking back at the work we have done over the years, I can’t believe it was the Boosters that brought the first fire truck into town,” Conrad said.

“We have survived because of perseverance and nostalgia,” Kreider said. “It is our community service and giving.”

Booster members are excited about carrying on their work.

“One Booster gave us $10,000 to renovate the alley kitchen at the park. Maintaining the alley kitchen is one of our ongoing projects,” Conrad said. We are in discussions about renovating the mural on Mamie’s building (the mural painted on the building occupied by Mamie’s Bakery is depicting Teeter’s Hotel). The executive board will talk about special projects for next year. We have other things in the works. Financially we are sound. During COVID we were able to meet our donation goal to the community, we didn’t lose a beat,” Conrad said.

The Boosters are planning a 100th Anniversary Celebration Dinner Nov. 13 at the Givler Cultural Center at Homewood Living Martinsburg. The keynote speaker will be Allan Hancock, who was president of the CPCF for 25 years.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.