Pro Mod Policeman

Mark Colburn has held a lot of titles in his life.

For 14 years, he has been Officer Colburn, and for nine of those years, he was Police Chief Colburn. Right now, he’s both Sgt. Colburn and Detective Colburn in the Kirkersville Division of Police.

But outside of work, the Pickerington resident has other titles to his name – titles like World’s Fastest Pro Modified Harley Racer and Two-Time National Champion, the latter a feat unparalleled in the world of Pro Mod drag racing.

Pro Mod is a division in the sport of motorcycle drag racing, determined by factors like engine power and components. Pro Mod vehicles typically are raced on quarter-mile or eighth-mile tracks.

Colburn took his dedication to public service and infused it into his love of racing. He has been a big racing fan for many years, and eventually – with the help of sponsors Get Behind the Badge, Interstate Regional Transit, Energy One Clutches and First Impression Tires and Wheels – he was able to obtain and race his own Pro Mod motorcycle.

In 2009, Colburn won the Super Gas AMRA National Championship, as well as the title of Sportsman Rookie of the Year.

Colburn has a very close relationship with sponsor Get Behind the Badge. The organization was founded in 2001 by Angela McDowell after her husband, Whitehall police officer Terry McDowell, was killed in the line of duty.

Its mission: to provide immediate financial assistance to the families of police and fire personnel who are killed or seriously wounded in the line of duty.

That mission is an exceedingly worthy one, Colburn says – in addition to supporting the families of public safety officers when they need it most, the organization helps promote and build stronger relationships between communities and public safety personnel. For years, Colburn has volunteered for and supported Get Behind the Badge, which now covers seven counties in central Ohio, including Franklin and Fairfield.

Beyond the local volunteer work, the partnership between Colburn and Get Behind the Badge continues on the road. Colburn puts in long hours during the week for his day job, then travels as far as 1,200 miles in a day to compete at racing venues. He recognizes the organization through its emblem on his Harley, but he also goes out and promotes Get Behind the Badge in the cities he visits across the country.

Soon, McDowell hopes to see her program instituted statewide. With the help of Colburn and his racing, the eventual goal of creating a nationwide program could be realized sooner rather than later

Colburn is well aware of his unique position as a police officer who drag-races. His outspoken support of McDow- ell’s program has a tendency to generate questions on the road.

“Unfortunately, some of the people we race with, in the Harley community, have been on the wrong side of the law,” he says. “Being the only police officer out there who races, sometimes it feels like you’re the Lone Ranger.”

Colburn often sees people come up to him and ask him about the Get Behind the Badge logo, and he’s always happy to elaborate. Not only has he spread awareness of the program and its message of helping the families of fallen public servants, he has received a number of donations from people who want to support the cause.

Colburn is set to “blow old records out of the water” this upcoming season, as he has just acquired a brand new pro-stock Harley. “The bike is also a blank canvas at the moment,” Colburn says, which means that anyone looking for an alternative form of national marketing could leave their mark on his ready-to-impress Harley.

When he’s not serving the public good in Kirkersville or racing on his Harley, Colburn participates in the Columbus Police football and hockey teams. He also does work with a number of charities.

He has two sons – one serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and one in middle school.

Tyler Davis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com

The new location at 70 Cross St. will include a reception area, an office for the director, a meeting room for classes in nutrition and budgeting, large selection and storage areas, and an unloading area with a garage door to admit trucks. Clients will enter through the reception door, make their selections and carry their groceries out another door into the parking lot.

Two sets of stairs present some access difficulty at the present pantry, but the new facility is all on one level. Qualification requirements and hours of operation will remain the same when the Cross Street location opens.

“The community’s been very generous, but there are times when we have a greater need,” Kassouf says. “Our supplies get low in the summer, when we have an uptick in numbers in need. School is out, so families that rely on school lunch and breakfast programs have to provide more meals at home.”

The holidays are another time when donations are especially needed. Clients can sign up to receive special Christmas boxes in addition to their regular allowance of groceries.

For more information, and to see a list of items currently needed, visit the PCMA Food Pantry website at www.pcmafoodpantry.com. Small donations of 10 bags or less may be dropped off during client hours, and larger donations must be scheduled in advance due to storage limitations. The pantry can also accept donations through PayPal.

Although many people do not associate life in the suburbs with hunger, food insecurity in communities like Pickerington is growing. The PCMA Food Pantry has been responding to the community’s needs for 20 years, and the new, expanded facility will enable the program to continue meeting those needs.

Pickerington resident Brenda Layman is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.