Mikel Hager, the current Mountaineer mascot for West Virginia University, has been nominated as a candidate for the Greatest Community Impact and Best Live Human Mascot awards by the Mascot Hall of Fame Executive Committee.
Hager, who hails from Boone County and is a senior in West Virginia University's School of Medicine's exercise physiology undergraduate program, explained that in order to be considered for the awards, he had to submit a resume detailing his various contributions to the community and why he is deserving of the recognition.
During an interview on MetroNews "Talkline," Hager revealed that since April, he has participated in 321 public events of various types. While athletic events make up only a small portion of his outreach work, Hager emphasized that the majority of his appearances involve fairs, festivals, grade school visits, and parades. He expressed his goal to visit all 55 counties in West Virginia before he completes his tenure as the Mountaineer mascot.
Describing each event as unique and exciting, Hager explained that his appearances allow him to meet WVU fans of all ages from across the state. The nature of his engagements varies, from reading a book to taking pictures, or even giving a 20- to 30-minute talk about the importance of college and what it means to be the Mountaineer.
Voting for the awards is open online until November 21, with the winner set to be announced on December 1.
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