Rogers is a legend, too, in Fordyce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mandy Noles, who is the founder of Morning Meadow Animal Rescue in Dallas County, met Rogers when he was in the fifth grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have never been more proud of a young man, making it on his own sheer will and determination,\u201d Noles said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a youth volunteer with the sports programs at the Civic Center in Fordyce, Rogers helped referee games, manage the scoreboards and anything else that needed to be done. No task was too big or too small for Rogers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was easy to see that Roderick had a maturity about him that not many his age had,\u201d Noles said. \u201cOnce he was old enough, he worked on the part-time staff at the Civic Center, working in the building office and also on the maintenance crew outside in the summers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rogers didn\u2019t stop there. He became a lifeguard. He then taught swimming lessons. He moved up to a full-time position as the Sports and Recreation director. He handled all of the youth and adult sports programs including fitness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoderick has that special way that he can communicate to young and old alike, and all know he truly cares about them,\u201d Noles said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Noles realized that Rogers had a calling to preach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a gift, I made him a pulpit,\u201d Noles said. \u201cHe has kept it all of these years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was no surprised to Noles that Rogers started his own church to preach. He has served as a member of the Arkansas Baptist task force and the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Pastors\u2019 Conference. Recently, Rogers started a mobile ministry. He holds prayer rallies. He remodels homes in his community. He holds winter coat drives and works with at-risk youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rogers is also deeply involved in sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He hosts block parties for the community. He helps the Fordyce High School Basketball Booster Club. He operates his own AAU basketball team and a flag football league. He is a sanctioned high school and college sports referee and assigns referees to games. He also recruits referees and hosts umpire clinics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does Rogers ever stop? No. That\u2019s because he made a promise once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Big Red Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2010, Rogers started the Big Red Community Outreach Foundation in memory of Derrick Brewer, a football player for the Fordyce Red Bugs who Rogers took in because Brewer lost his father. Brewer had lost his way in life. He needed direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI kept him and I loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Brewer, whose nickname was Big Red, was a troubled soul. He left Rogers and Fordyce for a while but returned one day. That day, Brewer said that he didn\u2019t work out the way that was expected of him. But he asked Rogers, who never gave up on him, to make him a promise never to give up on Fordyce’s kids. Rogers made that promise. The next day Brewer died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI preached his funeral,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cPeople loved him, but he wasn\u2019t at peace. He was dear to my heart and that\u2019s why I do what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In February 2021, Rogers held the foundation\u2019s first Black History Gala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s gala featured University of Pine Bluff head football coach Alonzo Hampton. Each year the gala honors those in the African-American community in south Arkansas, especially Dallas County, making a difference in lives. Rogers passed the plate to collect money for the Fordyce Lady Redbugs\u2019 trip to the 2A state championship in Rector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rogers had a chance to leave Fordyce for a job in Little Rock. He passed up more money to stay in his hometown. He told himself that he would give his everything to help his community. He hasn\u2019t regretted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can make a difference here,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s non-stop, but I do what I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noles seconds that statement but added, \u201cRoderick is fair, honest and caring to all. Make no mistake though, he can be tough as nails and will stand by any decision he makes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arkansasdeltainformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ABV-RoderickRogerLegends2-1-1024x683.jpg\")
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