Star Plastics honored with WV Spirit of Philanthropy Corporate Responsibility Award

S. Doug Ritchie (founder of Star Plastics) on the left with Star Plastics leaders receive the 2020 WV Spirit of Philanthropy Corporate Responsibility Leader Award

Philanthropy West Virginia joined Star Plastics’ leaders to present them with the West Virginia Spirit of Philanthropy Award for Corporate Responsibility.

Star Plastics founder, S. Doug Ritchie and members of the Star Plastics team were presented with West Virginia’s highest honor in philanthropy for corporate responsibility   Paul D. Daugherty, president and CEO of Philanthropy WV was on hand to present the award at Star Plastic’s Ravenswood, WV headquarters.

Daugherty shared, “Philanthropy West Virginia had to postpone our in-person awards program last year, but we’re pleased to finally get to present this well-deserved award and celebrate Doug and all of the employees who have served and generously invested in the community in so many ways.” 

While the award was announced in 2020, Philanthropy WV postponed its official awards ceremony until their 2022 Annual Conference at a luncheon on May 20, 2022 at Glade Springs Resort. Ritchie along with the employees will be recognized among state and local leaders from across the state.

“As the pandemic reached our community last year, our employees were concerned about how others in the area surrounding our plants were doing. Since our facilities were still operating, we wanted to do what we could to make life better for those who might need support,” said Doug Ritchie. “I’m very proud of our employees and their readiness to share their own funds to help those in our community who needed it most.”

In addition to the beautiful West Virginia made award, Star Plastics was also awarded a mini-grant to direct to a charity of their choice with award.  Ritchie along with the employees matched the value of the mini-grant with personal and company resources to multiply it supporting local hunger and food programs.  Daugherty noted, “Especially, during COVID-19 Star Plastics increased their giving to provide much needed resources to support multiple local food pantries in the communities in which Doug’s employees live.” 

Star Plastics is the second recipient of the West Virginia Spirit of Philanthropy Award in Corporate Responsibility. The award was created to celebrate the best companies and inspire other local, state, and national companies based in and/or serving West Virginia to be responsible and effective West Virginia partners through their philanthropic giving, volunteerism, and community engagement.  

Ritchie added, “Star Plastics is very honored to receive this award, and we hope that Star’s efforts will inspire additional companies to work with nationally certified community foundations in West Virginia, like the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Regional Affiliates, to accomplish their philanthropic goals. 

The WV Spirit of Philanthropy Awards was started to inspire, recognize, and celebrate the generosity of West Virginians, organizations, businesses, foundations, and collaborations that are transforming the Mountain State. For more information about Philanthropy West Virginia, visit: www.phlianthropywv.org, call 304.517.1450, or follow @PhilanthropyWV (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook).

Philanthropy West Virginia connects the Mountain State’s diverse network of philanthropic funders to advance community-driven solutions across the state reaching both urban centers and some of the most rural areas in Appalachia.