After 50 years of giving back to his community, Mike Puto is receiving a lasting tribute, with the football stadium at Marathon High School now bearing his name.
Known locally as “Mr. Marathon,” Puto was honored during a dedication ceremony last week held as part of the school’s homecoming festivities. The recognition celebrates his decades of involvement in Marathon athletics, school booster clubs, scholarship programs and community organizations.
Puto said the ceremony came as a surprise and drew a crowd of approximately 500 people. The dedication had originally been planned for halftime at the football game, but rain and lightning prompted organizers to move the event into the gymnasium.
“It was a big crowd of people,” Puto said. “It was very, very humbling, and just watching the crowd have a great time.”
School board members, county commissioners and city council representatives took part in the ceremony, which also featured the school band and cheerleaders.
Puto said the response from the community has been especially meaningful, both during the ceremony and in the days since.
“I’ll say it, they love me pretty well, and they appreciate what I do,” he said. “I work with them, and no matter what the sports activity is, or the booster clubs that we’re involved with, with all out there at the school and in the community, and a lot of organizations I’m involved with, it’s a fun thing.”
His community involvement extends beyond athletics. Puto also participates in organizations that support scholarships and educational opportunities, including Rotary and Take Stock in Children.
He said one of the most rewarding parts of that work is hearing directly from families whose children have benefited from the assistance.
“It’s nice when they come up, whether it be the young man, young lady, family person, and they say, ‘We just want to thank you for helping support my child, and he’s got one more year at college, and he’s doing very, very well,’” Puto said.
Those moments, he said, serve as a reminder of the lasting impact community support can have on young people.
The stadium dedication also places Puto among other community members whose names have been attached to Marathon school facilities, including the softball field, gymnasium and baseball field.
Puto recalled a previous dedication honoring a local educator who expressed gratitude for being alive to enjoy the recognition. He said that memory came back to him during his own ceremony.
“Isn’t it great that the good Lord has allowed me to be alive to enjoy this recognition?” Puto recalled saying. He said the crowd responded enthusiastically.
“It’s pretty neat that I’m able to be alive to enjoy that recognition towards me from this community and the school system, and, of course, the state of Florida,” he said.
Puto said he is still feeling the excitement of the occasion.
“It’s pretty impressive, and it was enjoyable,” he said. “I just can’t thank the community enough for all they’ve done.”
The homecoming festivities offered another example of how the community comes together. Puto described a parade featuring floats representing the school’s classes, with local residents, businesses and agencies providing trucks, trailers and other support. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office helped manage traffic and crowds along the route.
He also discussed upcoming seasonal events, including Witches in the Hammock at Crane Point, a Halloween celebration featuring decorations and hayrides, as well as the Marathon Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet recognizing local businesses.
For Puto, however, the stadium dedication was a particularly personal milestone after five decades of service.
“It’s just a super duper humbling experience,” he said. “You can feel the love out there. It’s really unbelievable.”