McAlester Student Reed Marcum Recognized in House

OKLAHOMA CITY — McAlester High School Senior Reed Marcum was recognized in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday for his outstanding service work through the Oklahoma 4-H program at his high school.

Marcum was presented a citation by Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, and also congratulated by Rep. David Smith, R-Arpelar.

“Reed has dedicated his life to the service of others,” Grego said. “He’s created 10 different service projects in recent years and has been widely recognized for his exemplary service to his community.”

Marcum’s citation noted that he implemented a 4-H book bag giveaway from 2016 to 2022, which donated over 28,000 book bags and over a million school supplies to other students. He also created a 4-H toy giveaway that donated over 53,000 gifts to children. In 2019, Reed started a silent auction for pediatric cancer, raising over $114,000. The value of donations given to his different service projects exceed $3.2 million.

In 2022, Marcum received the Keep McAlester Beautiful Volunteer Award and was inducted into the Oklahoma State 4-H Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the varsity football team and varsity powerlifting team at McAlester High School. He is a Gold Star Brother as his older brother, Sgt. Miles Tarron, made the ultimate sacrifice and lost his life while serving in the United States military.

“This young man has demonstrated diligence in order to achieve his goals,” Grego said. “And the enthusiasm and dedication he has shown in order to achieve such a high level of success has brought pride not only to himself but to all of his community and his family.”