West Virginia Governor Jim Justice visited Antero Resources in Bridgeport on Wednesday to accept a check from The Antero Foundation to be used for The GameChanger Prevention Education Program in schools in Doddridge, Harrison, Ritchie, Tyler and Wetzel counties.

The check was in the amount of $60,000 and it was presented to Justice by Antero Director of Government Relations Maribeth Anderson.

“It won’t surprise you that the Antero Foundation gets a lot of requests for contributions and donations,” Anderson said. “We say no sometimes, we say yes sometimes.

“GameChanger was a clear yes to us because of the strategic way that it intervenes early and addresses what is arguably West Virginia’s largest problem.

GameChanger is a student-powered, substance misuse prevention movement. The GameChanger Initiative focuses on building school environments that curb student drug use by implementing, monitoring and sustaining GameChanger Student Peer Leadership programs, while empowering youth to make healthy choices as they prepare to be leaders of tomorrow.

GameChanger is currently being implemented in a total of 55 elementary, middle, and high schools spanning 18 counties in West Virginia. The Program is the first of its kind in the nation and results from a service agreement between GameChanger and the world-renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

GameChanger Founder and Executive Director Joe Boczek said the donation from Antero was another show of the tremendous support they continue to get from throughout the state and GameChanger’s “head coach” Justice has been supportive at every step of the way.

“It really takes people stepping up,” Justice said. “It’s a different animal today with kids and the pressures that are on our kids. We can stand on the sidelines and wait for the next horror story or we can try to get something going that will maybe make an impact.

“From my standpoint, Antero stepping up, you are doing God’s work.”