Former pro football running back, Marcus Allen, featured speaker for Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks ‘Thanks4giving Gala’

Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is proud to present Marcus Allen, a legendary sports icon, as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Thanks4Giving Gala on Tuesday, October 20, at the Branson Convention Center. 

Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners in NFL history, he was selected 10th overall by the Raiders in the 1982 NFL draft, following a successful college football career with the USC Trojans. He was a member of the Raiders for 11 seasons and spent his last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

During his professional career, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards. He also scored 145 touchdowns, including a then-league-record 123 rushing touchdowns, and was elected to six Pro Bowls. While with the Raiders, he helped the team win Super Bowl XVIII. He was the first NFL player to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career.

Allen has the distinction of being the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy, be named Unanimous All-American, won an AFCA National Championship Trophy, the Super Bowl, and be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. 

This year’s Thanks4Giving Gala will offer a private cocktail reception for high-end sponsors, meet and greet opportunities with photographs, extraordinary cuisine and entertainment throughout the evening. The Thanks4Giving Gala is the Club's major fundraiser of the year to raise operating cost for the upcoming year. Money raised will stay in the community and go towards programs, education enrichment, meals and needs of Club Members in Taney and Stone counties.

About Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. 

The Club provides its services and programs at four locations in Taney and Stone Counties: Branson, Crane, Forsyth and Reeds Spring, and offers a summer program at all four units for children ages five to eighteen. In 2025, the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks served more than 1,400 school-age youth and over 105,000 hot meals.  In addition to quality programs and activities, Club Members can receive a nutritious meal, academic assistance and age-appropriate personal growth opportunities for only $30 per school year.  No child is ever turned away for financial reasons.

As word of Marcus Allen’s participation has been announced, key sponsorship tables are quickly becoming limited. For those interested in securing space for this important experience and to support Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks at 1460 Bee Creek Rd. Branson, Missouri 65616, please contact Ashley Compton at 417-335-2089 or acompton@bgcozarks.org. You can also reserve your sponsorship online at www.bgcozarks.org.