BY TUCKER MASSEY
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN –
Since 2017, the James Owens Foundation has sought out members of the Auburn-Opelika community who had dedicated their lives to serving others – particularly young people.
James Owens was Auburn University’s first Black football player who joined the Tigers in 1969 and eventually as an assistant coach in 1982. Owens passed in 2016, but his wife Gloria made it her mission to set up JOF because her husband had wanted to see young minorities succeed.
“James was passionate about helping his community to ensure that minority students and other low-income students had an opportunity and a pathway to success,” Owens said.
Each year, JOF presents its Community Service Award to someone in the community who has done extraordinary work simply to help others. This year, Marion Sankey of Opelika was awarded that honor.
“[Marion] is someone who has been walking that path for years,” Owens said.
Sankey worked as an educator for 40 years. While teaching, Sankey taught the Owens’ youngest daughter.
Today, Sankey is the executive director of The Dream Day Foundation, a nonprofit that guides young people and gives them opportunities to give back to their communities. Sankey found TDDF in 2009 with the hope that it would inspire younger generations.
“I was shocked at first,” Sankey said of learning she had been awarded the Community Service Award. “There were so many others who had come before me and had been right along with me that give so much back to the community. I was taken aback but very honored and humbled to have been selected.”
Sankey said she did not think she had done anything differently from what she has done for much of her life to receive the award. She said she was never looking to be noticed or given anything in return for her work. She simply wanted to give back to her community.
“I don’t look for awards. I just do what I do,” Sankey said. “I’ve been doing it for so long, and I don’t think about what I’m going to get because that’s not my purpose. I just try to follow my purpose and passion, and that is to move our young people to the next level to be a change-maker.”
Over the years, Sankey and TDDF has worked to better the lives of those in Lee County through service projects and acts of kindness like giving out $50 Kroger gift cards to families with young children.
Throughout the year, Sankey and TDDF also host events like the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration – an event that they will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of in 2024 – and the Teen Summit, formerly known as the Black Male Summit.
Sankey did not take credit for all the work TDDF had done that was recognized by JOF. She said she was grateful for the many people who had supported her and TDDF over the years, specifically the group’s board members.
“I am very thankful for the board members who have all been very supportive of keeping The Dream Day Foundation out front and supporting all that we do in the community,” Sankey said.
Recently, JOF and TDDF entered a partnership to create a mentorship program through golfing. Sankey said the purpose of the golfing mentorship goes far beyond simply playing a game.
“The main purpose is not to just teach the fundamentals of golf, but also to find out the needs of these young people and to mentor them and to help them with their life skills,” Sankey said. “We are really happy about that.”
Throughout her life, Sankey has served her community through educating her young students, assisting in hands-on work that helped people in need and creating programs that help give guidance to young people who may not have it otherwise. The JOF said these attributes are what made her the perfect candidate to receive the Community Service Award.
“We look for those who are faithful and diligent and working to help make a difference in the quality of life especially in our young people,” Owens said. “[Marion’] program, The Dream Day Foundation, it leads — I would say — in the nation of helping young people approach success by making baby steps into adulthood.”