Most people who average a 50-hour work week look forward to unwinding at day's end. Come five o'clock, they lock up the shop, head for the familiar comforts of home, and call the day finished. Mark George is not one of those individuals. At 49, he has more irons in the fire than a cattle branding convention.
Mark is the facility manager for Huntington's Pepsi Cola Company. Simply put, he is in charge of sales and product distribution. That's what he does that buys groceries and pays the bills. Everything he does for Marshall University is a labor of love that is completely volunteer work.
How many are aware that both the president of Marshall's Big Green Foundation, and Marshall's Quarterback club are unpaid positions? Both are occupied by Mark George.
According to head football coach Mark Synder, George is most professional in both positions.
"Mark is a huge asset for us in football. In addition to his lead position with the Quarterback Club, he recently took on the role as president of the Big Green Foundation," Snyder said. "Mark is truly an asset not only for us in football, but also in our local community as well."
Big Green Board member Randy Dunfee said George is an energetic person with a wonderful attitude who gets the job done.
Born and raised in Huntington, George graduated from Marshall University in 1982 with a degree in marketing. He resides in Huntington with his wife, Samantha, and daughter, Ramey, who is nearly 3. When there is free time, George loves all outdoor sports, especially golf.
"Volunteering is all about managing your time, using what works best for a particular application and discarding practices that fail to achieve satisfactory results," George said.
He said he believes that the success of the Quarterback Club is strictly the result of a group of wonderful volunteers working together with strong community support.
"What I like best about doing this work is seeing the progress made over the years. Being a part of Marshall's success really fosters a winning attitude for all concerned," George said.
George has been a part of numerous milestones during his volunteering days at Marshall. He started shortly after his own graduation during the coaching days of George Chaump in the late 1980s. If volunteering his time at Marshall were not enough, Mark has also helped with the annual St. Joe basketball invitational tournament since 1977.
Marshall Athletic Director Bob Marcum said George is a great ambassador for Marshall.
"We need more just like him," Marcum said. "He is an invaluable volunteer for our program."
For those of you who may not know the purpose of Marshall's Quarterback Club, it's a fundraising organization for football expenses. When areas of the football program exceed their budget, funds generated by the Quarterback Club closes the gap. There are three main fund drives for this program: The senior football banquet each January, the membership drive every August, and the annual Green-White game in April.
The Big Green Foundation is another fundraising organization which uses revenue to provide scholarships for over 300 student athletes at Marshall, both men and women. Tax deductible donations come from local businesses, large corporations and private donations.
When George was asked about how the players looked at last month's annual Green-White game, he paused for a minute before he said, "That game is one of our biggest fundraisers. Everybody on the board of directors for the Quarterback Club is outside selling tickets, parking spots, selling programs, doing some PR work to raise another dollar. As a result, I haven't seen a complete scrimmage game in 15 years."
After listening to the apparent pride and dedication that Mark George has for his alma mater, it's easy to believe him.
Clyde Beal is a freelance writer living in Huntington. This is part of a series of articles bringing attention to those who volunteer their time supporting organizations in our community who would perish without their support. If you wish to become a part of this series, contact Night Local Editor Luke Damron at (304) 526-2753 or by e-mail at ldamron@herald-dispatch.com.
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