Wiedmer: It's time to help Stump Martin

In this 2009 staff file photo, Stump Martin talks in the locker room of Rossville Middle School.
In this 2009 staff file photo, Stump Martin talks in the locker room of Rossville Middle School.

I first met Marvin "Stump" Martin on a cold autumn Friday night in 1988: Oct. 21, to be precise. Though we worked for different media outlets at that time, we had both come to cover the last-ever home football game of Rossville High School, which also just happened to be Martin's alma mater.

The Bulldogs ultimately lost 14-12 to Adairsville. The next year, Rossville and Chattanooga Valley High would merge to form Ridgeland High School, which is now, hard to believe, about to conclude its 29th year of operation.

But with that 1988 Rossville game winding down, Martin approached me with some bit of trivia he thought would help my column for the next day. After I thanked him, he told me, "I know you won't use it, but I've done all I can to help you."

I decided at that moment that if I didn't write another word about that game I was going to use Stump's factoid, if only to spite him, though that probably had been his plan from the beginning.

But beginning tonight at 6:30 at the East Ridge Community Center at 1517 Tombras Ave., Stump needs us to help him. Lots of us. And probably for a long time to come, since the medical bills from Martin's recent health problems are piling up at a rate that might rival the national debt.

In a touching attempt to help alleviate some of that, the East Ridge Optimist Club is holding a chili supper at the community center, the more diners the better.

Or as club president John Tilley noted last week in a Facebook post: "Not chili fans, but want to show your support and love? Please come by and donate. Let's show the Martin family what an impact they have made on so many by helping them in this time of need."

Said Stump's administrative assistant at East Ridge Parks and Recreation, Kim Gann: "It shows that (the Optimist Club) cares. We're one big family here in East Ridge, and we all care about helping each other in times of need."

Martin has taken care of East Ridge Parks and Rec for the past six years as its director. Beyond that, he's probably forgotten more tidbits about all prep sports in northwest Georgia than most us will never know. He once worked for this newspaper, has had a long-running gig with his "Stump on Sports" TV show, has hosted radio call-in shows, coached youth teams and worked for the Catoosa County News. For as long as I've known him, he's had more irons in the fire than a racetrack blacksmith.

Again, Gann: "Stump's helped so many people around here. Kids. Ball teams. Whomever he thought needed it."

Some folks are larger than life, and I'm not referring to Stump's waistline. Their personalities fill up a room, or a TV studio, or a live location for a radio show.

That's been Martin for the past four decades, ever since the assistant coaching gig he held with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga baseball program came to an end when the school dropped the sport. That doesn't mean Stump quit coaching, just that he started finding alternate sources of income to help him and Deb raise Misty Dawn.

Now he spends every Friday night he can in the fall watching Misty's son Austin play for McCallie. He's remained as loyal a follower and promoter of prep sports as we may ever see.

And somewhere down the road, the Good Lord willing, he'll be back out there again at so many of our area's youth league and high school ballfields, including the ones he oversees at Camp Jordan - especially the one that includes the spot his co-workers call "Stump's Corner," because it's a comfortable height for him to cross his arms over, relax and watch the action from the outfield.

But first there's good health to regain and medical bills to shrink and the arduous task of returning his life to some sense of normal. And to some small degree, anyone who Stump ever has come in contact with can help that happen by stopping by the East Ridge Community Center tonight for a bowl of chili or a donation.

"Stump's a good guy," said Bill Owens, the supervisor for East Ridge Parks and Rec. "He treats everybody good. That's about it."

That wasn't quite it, though.

After briefly pausing, Owens said, "Stump's a great guy who needs some help. He needs some prayers."

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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