NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota provided 1,000 youths an opportunity to witness Hawaii's game against San Diego State over the weekend.
It was Motiv8 night at the University of Hawaii, and children from the After-School All-Stars Hawaii program, in addition to 500 more from the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, Special Olympics Hawaii, and Nanakuli, Kapolei, and Waianae high schools, were all in attendance, chartered by Mariota and his Motiv8 Foundation.
"Just a wonderful gesture by a guy who's not only a great role model but is a guy who's a great person for the state of Hawaii, especially for young people as a role model," Motiv8 Foundation volunteer Rich Miano told KHON-2 in Honolulu.
Mariota, in his third season with the Titans, starred at Saint Louis High in Honolulu.
"We are super, super excited and very fortunate that Marcus Mariota sponsored our tickets with his foundation, Motiv8," Maria Glidden, After-School All-Stars Hawaii, told KHON-2.
The youths wore "Got Motiv8-ed" t-shirts at the game. The eight in Motiv8 honors Mariota's jersey number and hometown, the 808, where his foundation does what its name says, motivate youth to dream big through education and athletics.
"He's doing things with the homeless. He's doing back-to-school stuff with backpacks and school supplies, and he's continuing to try to build this foundation up so he can influence more and more young people in Hawaii," Miano told KHON-2.
"It's so awesome that Marcus was able to reach into his pockets, make a really awesome Saturday for these kids," Glidden added.
Titans QB Marcus Mariota signs autographs on Day 3 of training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. (Donn Jones Photography)
