Roger Myers

Recently retired yet still wanting to keep busy, Roger looked for employment in human services to make the connections with people that were so important to him. He found the perfect position at JMU — driving athletes to and from games. Roger's spirit of community, for all its depth, could not possibly have predicted the day he graciously gave up his Thanksgiving vacation to drive 54 students and faculty members to Biloxi, Miss., on a Katrina Relief trip. He made a personal connection to his passengers that would leave an indelible mark, providing the praise and encouragement the volunteers needed to keep going. Roger knows that giving to others can make a difference, which is why he regularly contributes to JMU through payroll deduction. His selflessness does not stop there though. Nearly eight years ago, Roger gave his wife Gloria a kidney. "He's unselfish. Giving. Wonderful," Gloria affirms.

"… one of the most important things you will ever do in your life [is] helping your fellow human being to be able to see a little hope and love — not from someone they know, but someone willing to travel hundreds of miles and give of their heart and soul to make their life a little better after all seemed to be lost." — an excerpt from JMU Katrina Relief II Worker Reflections