ARKADELPHIA — Nick Goff has been involved in the forestry industry for many years, supervising logs being loaded for many customers, but it’s the logs that are loaded for kids that are near and dear to his heart.
Goff, 61, is a member of the South Central Arkansas Log A Load for Kids Chapter, which is part of the Log A Load for Kids Foundation program that raises money for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, including Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
“Log A Load for Kids is the forest industry’s No. 1 charity,” said Goff, who is often called “Nicky” by many in the community.
According to the website logaload.org, Log A Load for Kids is an annual campaign that began in South Carolina in 1988, when loggers and others in the forest-products community donated the value of a load of logs for their local CMN hospital. The idea spread to other states and began in Arkansas in 1993; the Arkansas Forestry Association sponsors the program in Arkansas in cooperation with the Arkansas Timber Producers Association. Today, the fundraising efforts include dinners and auctions, as well as golf tournaments and fishing events.
The Arkansas Forestry Association named Goff the 2018 Log A Load for Kids Volunteer of the Year. He was recognized in October 2018 at the Arkansas Forestry Association’s 73rd annual meeting in Hot Springs.
“It was surprising and an honor being told I have been nominated for the Volunteer of the Year. When you’re involved with charities, you just participate because you like to give back. I’m very grateful for the recognition,” Goff said.
“The support that the forestry community provides to Arkansas Children’s Hospital through the Arkansas Log A Load For Kids program is community-based fundraising at its best, and Nicky Goff is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a champion steps up to the plate for a cause,” said Max Braswell, executive vice president of the Arkansas Forestry Association.
“Nicky and so many of our volunteers donate financial resources to Log A Load for Kids, but more importantly, they donate their time, talents and passion for helping children. It’s an honor for AFA to work with great people like Nicky and other volunteers across the forestry sector to support the incredible work of ACH,” Braswell said.
“Since 1993, Arkansas Load A Log for Kids has created a lasting legacy at Arkansas Children’s Hospital through its support of the hospital, including endowments for the pediatric emergency department and trauma unit, pediatric cardiovascular surgery and the Angel One helicopters,” said Ashley Leopoulos, senior media-relations specialist with the Arkansas Children’s Foundation.
“In 2017, the Arkansas Load A Log for Kids chapters committed to raising $1.5 million to fund a cardiothoracic surgery endowment, bringing their combined support to nearly $10 million,” she said. “The Arkansas Children’s Foundation is grateful for the dedication of the Arkansas Log A Load for Kids chapters and to Nicky Goff for championing children.
“Nicky is an exceptional leader for the Log A Load for Kids Arkadelphia chapter,” Leopoulos said. “His compassion and dedication to the mission of Arkansas Children’s [Hospital] has helped propel Arkansas Log A Load as a fundraising leader among LAL chapters across the U.S. Nicky received the Volunteer of the Year award for his commitment to improving child health in Arkansas.”
Goff has chaired and co-chaired the South Central Arkansas Load A Log for Kids Committee for the past several years and is the key organizer of the annual Log A Load Golf Tournament, which takes place at the Glenwood Country Club, and a dinner and auction in Arkadelphia.
Born in Heber Springs, Goff said he has lived in Arkadelphia “all but 1 1/2 years of my life.”
“Arkadelphia is home to me,” he said, smiling.
“I graduated from Arkadelphia High School in 1995 and went to Quapaw Vo-Tech (now National Park College) but lost interest and went to work in the forestry industry,” Goff said.
“I was blessed at 21. … My father was employed at International Paper, and when they opened up the Gurdon plant, I went to work there in 1978, managing a landowners assistance program. That program went away in the early ’80s, and I went into procurement … purchasing trees for the paper plant, … saw [logs] and plywood,” Goff said.
“Another opportunity came up in 2007. I stayed at International Paper until it sold its assets in Arkansas in 2007. Then I retired in March 2007 after 29 years of service to International Paper in procurement,” he said.
“I was offered a partnership at No-Way Pulpwood Inc. in July 2007. Our office is in Prescott, but we work all over Arkansas and northern Louisiana, procuring timber for a variety of customers. I’m still a part owner but hope to be retired completely soon,” Goff said.
“I’ve been in the forest industry for 40 years … how time flies,” he said, laughing.
Goff officially retired April 10. He said earlier that he hopes to spend more time enjoying life with Cynthia, his wife of nine years, and their blended family, as well as riding his motorcycle and playing golf.
Goff may have retired from the forestry industry, but he is not retiring from Log A Load for Kids.
“It’s been my passion for many years,” he said. “It’s been in Arkansas for 26 years, and we have six chapters, including the South Central Chapter in this area. The Arkansas chapters donated $600,000 to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 2018. We are the second-largest contributor in the state to the hospital and are 15th in the nation for contributing to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.”
Goff said the South Central Chapter sponsors two fundraisers annually — a golf tournament, which is scheduled for June 6 this year at the Glenwood Country Club, and a dinner and auction, set for June 8 at the Arkadelphia Parks and Recreation Center.
“We have a goal to raise $10 million in 10 years,” he said. “That’s $1 million a year for 10 years. We raised $600,000 last year. … The only way we will be able to meet this goal is to get more corporate sponsorships or get larger items donated for the silent and live auctions that we have each year at the June dinner and auction.”
Goff said both the golf tournament and the dinner and auction are open to the public.
The golf tournament is a four-person scramble. The entry fee is $100 per player or $400 per team.
“A lot of people play under a corporate sponsorship,” he said.
Tickets to the dinner and auction are $20 each.
“That includes live entertainment and a dinner of fish and chicken and all the trimmings,” Goff said. “Those under 12 eat free.
“That’s affordable to most of us. Come by, and for $20, get a meal and a good time. Or donate an auction item. Buy … donate … small, large … makes no difference. … It’s all for the kids.”
For more information on Log A Load for Kids and upcoming events, contact Goff at (870) 260-2278.