HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) - — The former owner of Black Mountain Resources, Richard Gilliam, has announced that he will donate $492,000 from the company's foundation to donate to miners affected by the Blackjewel mining bankruptcy.
A former company spokesperson made the announcement that the money would be given to the Harlan County Community Action Agency and would total $2,000 for the miners registered in their database.
"I am overwhelmed by this amazing gesture of love and generosity toward our miners by The Gilliam Foundation. This amount alone will provide a significant boost to our miners to help get their finances back on track. Mr. Gilliam was a successful coal operator who always had an impeccable reputation for taking care of his people and running a world class operation. There are and have been great people in the coal business. Richard Gilliam is proof of that. Mr. Gilliam didn't have to do this for our miners but he wanted to. This gesture is greatly appreciated and I'm very humbled that our people mean this much to the him," said Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley.
Harlan County Community Action Agency will disburse the funds in the form of checks to miners. They will utilize the information on miners we have collected through our immediate needs database and will schedule appointments for check disbursements this week. You will have to bring photo identification and most recent check stub to prove employment once you are scheduled.
