Marcus Mitchell is a man on a mission; he wants to “Pay it forward” and has been doing so in the most interesting way. Mitchell has had a good amount of luck. He is a 42 year old Las Vegas transplant from Maryland who has been playing craps for over a decade.
Seeing good results from the game he decided to turn it into his full-time job three years ago and vowed that he would donate half of his winnings to charity which would include the Stomach Cancer Relief Network and random people who need the money more than he does.
Mitchell earns enough at craps to support his 6 year old son, rent a modest office, and give away $10,000 a year. After going through a divorce and rough custody battle with his first wife, Mitchell moved to California and then to Las Vegas where his mother lived. He began working at a warehouse and met the woman who would become his wife, Yanira.
The couple was very happy and had their first child on March 7, 2007, Noah. Mitchell stated that this was the happiest time of his life. Not long after the birth of their son the doctors diagnosed Yanira with stage 4 stomach cancer. She was given just six months to live. Her pregnancy had disguised the symptoms of the cancer. Yanira passed away on September 6, 2008 at just 38 years of age. Mitchell said that watching his wife slowly die really changed him.
The largest win Mitchell has seen at the craps table was $10,000. He also recently won $5,000 while playing at the Cosmopolitan. He says he loses money too, but is disciplined enough to quite before he gets into real trouble.
In 2010 Mitchell started the Stomach Cancer Relief Network, which funds cancer research as well as offers grants to families who are battling the disease.
Mitchell continues to play craps and give away half his winnings. He estimates that he has passed on $40,000 so far. He also said that he doesn’t care about the money and it always replaces itself.
Mitchell is a good example of a person actually “paying it forward”. Continuing to give away a portion of his winnings, he plays craps while using the discipline which has allowed him to support himself and his son, while also offering generosity to those he meets along the way who he feels can use the money more than he can.
In addition to the flocks of people following Marcus on Twitter, Mitchell’s Facebook page is full of kind words, as well as words of wisdom.
His generosity continues to surprise those he runs into along the way. He is a great example of what it truly means to “pay it forward”.
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