Grab anyone walking about on the campus of Cullman High School and ask them about Randy Wood, and the first thing they’re bound to talk about is his special bond with his students. As CHS’s proclaimed “go-to guy,” Wood works Monday through Sunday to ensure the grounds are beautiful and things are running smoothly for students, faculty, and staff.

After a laborious 10 years running back and forth between a construction business in New Orleans and his North Alabama home, Wood was tired of long days and nights spent away from his family. When a close friend phoned him with a prospective position as a groundskeeper somewhere closer to home, Wood jumped at the opportunity

“I am so thankful for my position at the high school,” said Wood. “The entire staff is like a family to me, no one is better than or above another. We all have the same common goal — our kids.”

“We are blessed with an amazing team here, and Mr. Wood plays a vital role in that team. He always has a smile on his face and an infectious attitude,” said CHS Principal Kim Hall.

It’s common to see Wood zooming around campus on a Polaris, staying late after sporting events to clean up the stands and telling students to keep off his meticulously manicured lawn.

“It’s the kids that really make this job for me. Some of them see me and smile, others wave, some even come over to offer me a hand — regardless of the fact that I yell at them for stepping on my grass,” Wood laughed.

Although Wood dedicates most of his time to keeping things spick-and-span at the high school, he still makes time to give back to his community. It’s his investment in children that makes Wood and Unsung Hero.

For the past several years, he has been a member of the motorcycle club Bikers Against Child Abuse, an international bike club known for rolling into domestic child abuse cases and letting the kids know they’re not alone.

“More often than not, these kids don’t have anybody. The only adult figures in their lives have done things to them that would make your stomach turn,” Wood explains. “The goal of the club is to provide these kids with support that they’ve never had and give them some hope that not every adult out there is out to get them.”

When he can’t volunteer his time, Wood helps out with organizing club fundraisers and any other ways he can to support victims of these devastating crimes.

“These guys are real heroes. They sit through hours of brutal court hearings and testimonies just so these kids don’t feel alone. It’s also custom to give the kids a club vest so they feel like they have real friends in the audience.”

Whether it’s in the courtroom, on the quad or in the stands, Wood’s care and love for the kids of the Cullman community is undeniable.

“You know, I kind of strive to be a fly on the wall,” he says. “I may seem like I’m always in the background, but whenever someone is in need, I was right there all along.”