PRINTShow-me a helping hand
Mary Ann Mize volleys for victorious volunteers at the Show-Me State Games
Sarah Flagg
Mary Ann Mize and her son Jason sport their Show-Me State Games volunteer shirts outside of Landmark Bank in Columbia. Mize organized many other volunteers from the bank for the Show-Me State Games this summer. She has been working with the games for seven years.
June 10, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
For many, the allure of watching 27,000 athletes of all ages bat, kick, run, shoot or otherwise exert themselves in this year’s 25th Show-Me State Games will entice them to attend. But for Mary Ann Mize, who coordinates a local corporation’s volunteer efforts, a separate competition takes place behind the scenes.
Every summer since 2003, Mize tries to convince her colleagues from Landmark Bank to volunteer at the games. Last year, the bank finally took first place in most corporate hours volunteered.
Related Articles“I issued a challenge to them last year that if we get the most volunteers we would get a trophy,” Mize says.
Employees “stepped up” to her challenge and accounted for about 60 of last year’s 800 total volunteers.
“For a company with a little over 200 employees, that’s not bad,” Mize says.
Prior to issuing the challenge, Mize had struggled for three years to motivate her colleagues to volunteer. She spoke at monthly meetings to try to amplify their interest.
“I have to be honest with you,” Mize says. “Up until last year, getting recruits was hard to do.”
The challenge was so successful, Mize is issuing one this year: keep the trophy.
Thirty employees have committed so far, and Mize has until June 17 to get the rest.
“I think that we’re striving to come back and win it again this year,” she says.
Large groups with at least 20 volunteers can choose to flaunt complimentary advertising — their logo — on the backs of their T-shirts, but Mize says the groups don’t have to help at the same events.
“We have people coming in for basketball or track and field,” she says. “A lot of people volunteer for what their passion is. We don’t all do the same thing.”
What Mize likes best is the swimming event, specifically in the senior categories.
“It is always so amazing to me to see these people swimming in their 80s and 90s,” Mize says. “They’re out there, and it’s just unreal. It’s really awesome to watch.”
For more information on how you can volunteer, contact Jean Hough at 884-2946 or HoughJ@missouri.edu. The deadline for group sign-up is June 17. Individual volunteers can sign up as late as the actual day of the games, but Hough prefers you give her a little advance notice if possible.
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