Hometown Heroes | Nick and Heather McKinney

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. (WSAZ) - We are officially into the season of giving but with a pandemic still in the air, some annual fundraisers and events aren’t possible this year. However, one couple in Point Pleasant has found a unique way to turn their annual tradition into a way to give back.

“We started out with just a few decorations, a few lights on the house, a few inflatables, and each year it’s grown and grown to what it is today,” said Nick McKinney.

This year McKinney and his wife Heather have about 160 inflatables scattered throughout their yard, and that’s not including their lights and other plastic decorations.

“It gives everybody in the community something to look forward to here. Where we’re at, you have to drive an hour to get to Huntington or Charleston, and here it’s local,” McKinney told WSAZ. “Kids can come by and see this, and it gives them something really to put themselves in the spirit.”

Though every year they add to their list of decorations, this year they’ve added an even more noticeable addition: a donation box.

“Every year we know that the (Point Pleasant) Fire Department collects funds for the (Christmas) food baskets that they give out in the community. We knew this year with COVID, that there would probably be even more of a need and we really wanted to do something in our community, (so) it was our opportunity to give back.”

“The Christmas Food baskets is a donation-run program for (those in need in the community) and this year we were a little concerned about donations due to the fact of COVID and how civic organizations and churches aren’t meeting, we were concerned we wouldn’t have the donations we normally have,” said Point Pleasant Fire Chief Jeremy Bryant.

That’s why this year the McKinney’s set out the donation box where every penny donated will go to the fire department to help pay for the Christmas food baskets. The baskets have a full meal which includes: ham, canned food, potatoes, milk and bread.

“This is something special that he stepped up to do this year,” Bryant said. “He’s using his Christmas display to help the fire department, to help the community.”

“I appreciate what everybody in this community does. It’s a small community, everybody knows a lot of people here, and there’s a big need right here. We’re just glad to give back,” McKinney said.

If you’d like to donate or go see the McKinney’s display it is located at 2012 Maxwell Ave. in Point Pleasant. The donation box is available for monetary donations from 5 to 10 p.m. every evening.

The Point Pleasant Fire Department will be giving out Christmas baskets on the morning of Christmas Eve.

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