Quarry’s Big Donation Provides Outlet for Enthusiasm

When a new high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, needed help, Mallard Creek Quarry got into the spirit of things. Literally.

The 20-ton rock donated by the quarry to Mallard Creek High School offered students a place for not only paint, but pride as well.

“Our spirit rock gives students a way to post fun and exciting messages,” noted Principal Katherine “Kat” Rea, “and helps keep such expression off of school walls and sidewalks.”

Continuously painted over and adorned with new messages, often relating to sporting events, the sprit rock’s journey to the school began when then-Plant Manager John Sherrill welcomed Rea and some teachers and students to the quarry to pick out a suitable rock.

When they found one that would work, it was set aside. With the assistance of a local trucking company and a local crane operator, the mammoth stone was raised onto a flat bed for transport to the high school.

“When the truck first got there, we actually discovered the rock was actually a little too big for it,” Sherrill said, “so we had to break some pieces away. Even then, it was still a very substantial rock.”

After a five-mile trip to the high school, the rock was gently positioned at its prominent spot in front of the school. Almost immediately, a group of enthusiastic students decorated it with its first message: Martin Marietta Rocks. Thanks.

Rea said the school was very appreciative of Martin Marietta’s assistance.

“The employees at the quarry were awesome,” she said, “and the whole process of getting the rock was fascinating to watch.”

Sherrill, now the Plant Manager at nearby Bonds Quarry, said this was the second spirit rock he was involved with donating to a local school. Even small donations of time or stone, he adds, can make a big difference in a community.

“Doing things like this is important because it gives the company a more human touch,” he notes. “It shows that even though Martin Marietta is a big company, we do care.”