Making a difference in one’s community -- one’s world – can take on many forms. And the results of those good deeds touch many in the here-and-now, while forming a lasting legacy that touches future generations.

That is why The Mexico Ledger honors Hidden Heroes.

Michael “Mike” Pfeifer grew up in Eureka before moving to central Missouri. He worked for many years at the Department of Corrections in Fulton while living in Bowling Green and has called Mexico home for the past decade.

“I’ve been involved with youth activities since I was a teenager; I started umping,” said Mike.“I just liked being involved in youth sports so the first opportunity I got when I came to Mexico I started getting involved and it was a good run.”

His son Michael began playing football with the Mexico Optimist Club in third grade when the Pfeifers moved here.

“Two or three years into it, I took it over,” said Mike. “I was coaching a couple teams and I took over the (football) program.”

And he had a lot of work to do, thanks to the outdated equipment.

“We got all that updated and we had really good numbers there for quite a few years – 100 plus kids playing,” said Mike. “It was a good time.”

While he worked hard to make the football and scholarship programs what they were, he worked even harder to make an impact on the kids’ lives.

“I got a bunch of kids that I coach now, they’re in high school and I get to go watch them and see them be successful,” said Mike. “I take a lot of pride in that.”

The Mexico Optimist Club has always had a scholarship program in place to cover the registration fees of kids with financial hardship, but there was an unwritten rule that the club was not going to advertise the program, said Mike.

“I felt like I really reached out to kids in need and I really pushed to get those kids out here,” he said.

Mike would approach young aspiring athletes directly and ask them why they couldn’t participate and if money was the issue, he made sure they could get involved.

“When you have kids, especially kids in need, if they don't have that avenue of something to work for then there is no reason for them to do well in school,” he said. “It gives kids something to do and something to look forward to.”

A little over a year ago, Mike got custody of his now 1.5-year-old nephew, whom he still fosters. As a retired veteran, he took the opportunity to stay home and raise him, taking a step back from the club.

“Even after stepping back, he still umped baseball games and he has even consulted with the people who are currently running the sports,” said Kayla, his wife and Hidden Hero nominator.

Coaching means everything to Mike and he wouldn’t give it up for anything … but he will be saying goodbye to the program he loves so fiercely in just a few months time.

“This is our last year in Mexico,” said Mike. “My wife is from Bowling Green and recently took a job in that area and we are going to head back to our home town.”

During his time in the Mexico Optimist Club, Mike ran the football, baseball and softball programs, served as president of the Central Missouri Youth Football League, coached teams his kids weren’t on, started the Hounds Youth Running Club, helped the cheerleading team transition to a competitive sport, secured grants for new equipment and held countless fundraisers for the scholarship fund.

There were some nights when the Pfeifers were never home, Kayla said. But Mike enjoys every second.

“I worked a lot with this community and there are a lot of people in this town that I love and I hope do well,” he said.