Mark Frisco 2016 Candidate for United Way of Calvert Mardi Gras King
The final candidate running for this year’s Mardi Gras King for the United Way of Calvert is a good friend and coworker of mine with Century 21 Mew Millennium in Prince Frederick. Mark Frisco is a sharp, intelligent, and highly successful real estate agent who has become a Company Top Producer at a very young age. One of the keys to his quick rise to fame has been an extraordinary ability to form a professional team to assist him in his work. It is this skill set that he has applied to organizing a campaign to become the top fundraiser among the candidates running for the royal crowns in this year’s competition. Knowing Mark as well as I do, he goes all out in everything he throws himself into, so I know this charity fund raiser will be no exception!
Mark has spent most of his young life here in Calvert County. He and his family lived in Lothian just overt the line in Anne Arundel until he was five. His parents built a new home in Drum Point in southern Calvert and grew up here in Lusby. He graduated from Patuxent High School [congrats to our “Panthers” on winning their first Maryland State High School Football Championship last month!] and went on to attend Towson University for three years. Not satisfied with where his life was at the time, he returned home and began his career in real estate. As a young Realtor, he lived in rented homes in both St. Mary’s and Calvert, but with a passion for this work he soon earned enough money to purchase his new home in Huntingtown. He is probably one of the youngest homeowners I have met and I know as a young man, he is very proud to have done this on his own.
I asked Mark, as I have asked each of the five candidates previously, how did he become involved with charity work. He states he has always been a charitable person and is a firm believer of “giving back”. Amazingly, he tells me he was approached by a fellow agent from a competing broker, Val Mayer with the firm that uses a hot air balloon in their advertisement [okay its Re/Max One – I am an Equal Opportunity agent and most of us get along quite well!]. Val convinced Mark he had what it takes and thus we have a “Prince” of a guy well on his way to stardom as a future King!
In addition to this endeavor, Mark gives of himself to the community in many ways. He donates to a local cancer support group and sponsors youth and men’s sports teams. Additionally, he is very active in furnishing Christmas gifts to needy families during the holiday season, donates to local food banks, sponsored seniors at the local nursing homes, and gives through a national network that he is a part of. Whoa, I wonder where he finds time to earn a living! Actually, he credits his “crowning committee” for providing the wonderful support he enjoys, starting with his full time marketing assistant for his real estate team, Tiffany Rose, his wife Lindsey Frisco, his sister Sherri Frisco, his mortgage lender partner Tim Murphy, and best friend Alex Dehenzel. They all have helped him tremendously with the planning of all of his events and fundraisers. And all of his close friends and family attend almost all of his affairs to provide encouragement and show support for his efforts!
When I asked Mark to tell me about his family, he tells me his sister Sherri will be graduating from St. Mary’s College this year [congrats Sherri – my oldest daughter Cindy who is also in real estate with another broker, Home Towne, is an alum of SMC!]. His mother Cheryl owns a local cleaning firm and his dad, Mark Frisco, Sr. has been in the printing industry for almost 30 years now. His parents are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year [congrats Friscos] and Mark states it is because of them that he has achieved his successes.
Finally, I wanted to know of Mark’s plans for this year’s Mardi Gras and he says he is currently looking for more business sponsorships to provide great exposure at this great event that is attended by many influential people who will take notice of their business support for this great cause. He has already held several events including serving as a guest bartender at the Pax Pub and Outback restaurant in November. He has a New Year’s Eve Party planned, poker tournaments planned for January 16th and February 20th, and more events yet to be announced. And there will be Raffles held every other week with various prizes such as an Xbox One, Brick Wood Fired Bistro gift card, and a shotgun [winner will need to meet all legal requirements should he or she win]. There will also be 50/50s held at each event. I won one of Mark’s first 50/50s earlier!!!
Mark wanted me to tell you the best way to keep up with everything he has going on is to log on to www.facebook.com/markforking and “Like” his page. Further, should you want to donate even a few dollars to help the cause, you can do so by logging on to www.frisco4king.com which will direct you to his vote/donation page on the United Way of Calvert’s website.
To close, Mark wanted me to point out that every dollar raised by the candidates in this fun competition goes right back into the local community here. He reminds everyone that United Way funds many charities in the area as well as their own outreach programs. And your dollar donation can uniquely be split 4 ways so that a quarter can go to 4 different needy groups who take care of our citizens who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Mark, the very best of luck and good fortune in all of your pursuits. I know you and I know you will give this project your all! You are an extraordinary individual with more “get up and go” than anyone else I know in your age group. It would not surprise me to call you “King Mark” in a couple of months!
Dave Spigler resides in Lusby and has been a resident of Calvert County since 1979. He has been recognized many times for his years of community service. He received the “Calvert You Are Beautiful Award” for 2013 and recognized by the Knights of Columbus as the “Maryland Citizen of the Year” in 2011. He was a member of the HOGETTES, the Washington Redskins “Biggest Fans” for 22 years. If you know of an unsung citizen of Calvert County, please contact Dave at spiggy@erols.com.