Honoring cost-saving, innovative work was the order of the day at a 220 Quarterback Club Luncheon on Jan. 13.
During the group’s first meeting of 2016, awards were presented to Jerome Swaine, Kelvin Rozier, and Craig Talton of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Facilities Planning and Construction Department. The three received recognition for their role in identifying a mobile trailer or modular unit on campus that could be transformed into a key baseball facility.
FAMU Baseball Coach Jamie Shouppe, now in his third year leading the program, told the club’s members that he appreciates the support provided to him and the team.
“When you raise money, and you give that money to the baseball program, you’ll be able to drive by that field and see changes,” Shouppe said.
The mobile trailer, which includes 3,200 square feet of space, will eventually house baseball offices, a locker room for the players, a shower area, training room, and a lounging area.
The 220 Quarterback Club was started by Eddie Jackson, a retired vice president of University Relations at FAMU, in an effort to help the University deal with the financial deficit in the Athletic Department.
The main objective of the plan when it first began was for members to donate a portion of their weekly lunch budgets to raising funds for the University’s football team. For $20 a week, the club members enjoy a luncheon buffet with the portion of the fee going toward financial assistance to one of the University’s athletic teams.
When the club was first created each member had donated at least $220 by the end of the football season, which in turn became the inspiration for the group’s name, 220 Quarterback Club.The dedicated group of FAMU athletic supporters, which now meets year-round, has made several contributions to assist the baseball program in the past and is currently scheduled to make a $10,000 presentation to the team in February.
Jackson said the many upgrades taking place at the baseball complex are exciting to watch.
“When I first saw the TV coverage of what was happening on the baseball field, I felt real good because I knew that we played a role in that,” Jackson said.
Shouppe shared how pleased he is with progress taking place concerning the baseball facilities during the time he has served as coach.
“This makes you feel that people do care about what you’re trying to do, in making FAMU’s baseball program and facilities better,” Shouppe said.
After receiving his award, Talton said the effort was a way for his team to contribute to the overall vision laid out for the University by President Mangum.
“We’re following the vision of the President to become a best-in-class University and making sure our students have everything they need to succeed. We love the University, and we want to make sure our students have the opportunity to excel in the classroom and outside the classroom,” Talton said.
Newly appointed Trustee Matthew Carter, who also spoke before the group, shared in the enthusiasm about the progress of the team’s facilities, his appointment as a trustee and his belief in the contributions FAMU continues to make to the state and nation.
“We have a world-class university. My kid is at FAMU, and I know she gets the best education money can buy,” Carter said.
During his presentation, Carter expressed his plans to do everything possible to assist his fellow Board members and the University’s administration in taking FAMU to greater heights of excellence.
“The first thing I did when the governor appointed me was call Dr. Mangum and ask ‘what I could do to help her be successful.’ I would suggest that we all do the same thing in terms of helping make FAMU successful overall,” he said.