Proud to Be From Pittsburgh

Big and Little Brother of the Year make us Proud to be from Pittsburgh

By Jennifer Tomazic, WPXI-TV and Ashley Bishop, WPXI.com
By Jennifer Tomazic, WPXI-TV and Ashley Bishop, WPXI.com

PITTSBURGH — Two guys from Pittsburgh just got a huge honor: they won Big and Little Brother of the year for the entire country for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization!

And after spending even the shortest amount of time with them, you realize why.

Mark Bezilla and Eric Gary are family in every sense of the word.

When Eric has a football game, Mark is in the stands.

When Mark got married, Eric was in the wedding.

When Eric needed someone for Take Your Father to School Day, he didn’t hesitate to call on Mark.

“Whenever he asked me to join him on that day, it kind of took my breath away a little,” said Mark.

At that moment, Mark knew the relationship was going to be special with the boy chosen to be his Little in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh.

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    • Now 10 years later, the duo are celebrating being named Big and Little of the year.

    “There’s just no way I could thank him for the way he stepped up and he just impacted my life so heavily,” said Eric.

    Having just lost his father back in 2010, Eric says Mark “came in my life when I was basically at a low point and I was just kinda confused.”

    But over the years, Mark has helped Eric find direction and never steered him wrong.

    “You’re invested in it,” said Mark. “That’s what I love about it. Love about our relationship.”

    “It just feels like we’re one big family now,” said Eric.

    This family is in it for the long haul. Even with Mark and his wife expecting their third baby in August and Eric heading off to Allegheny College around the same time to play football and study education.

    Mark thinks the world of Eric.

    “Any person who genuinely cares about other people whether their family, friends, or stranger, are deserving of good things to come their way,” said Mark.

    He’s just been there,” Eric said. “I just want to say thank you, I appreciate you, and I love you for that.”

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