Win a Trip to 'The Office' Set and Help a Great Cause

By Zach Dionne Posted Jul 5th 2010 03:30PM

Marcus York, who recurs as business park manager Billy Merchant on 'The Office,' doesn't just play a guy in a wheelchair -- it's the life he's lived since a car accident rendered him paraplegic. Which is why he works with SCI Cure, a foundation striving to help those afflicted by spinal cord injury. Their goal? "Accelerate research and get us out of wheelchairs as quickly as possible!"

The fast track to that goal is research and clinical trials, and the fast track to that is to donate $1 -- a dollar that could win you and a friend an all-inclusive trip to a taping of 'The Office.' That's right -- a chance at airfare and a two-night hotel stay for you and a guest, transportation to the studio, and a meet-and-greet with cast members ... for a buck.

"The winner can expect to meet a cast and crew that are probably some of the friendliest people in Hollywood," York (pictured here with Steve Carell), tells PopEater. "And it would certainly assist in bringing in the funding to help the millions of paralyzed individuals worldwide."

York, the Southern California representative for SCI Cure, says the raffle comes as the foundation has greenlit human clinical trials "using non-embryonic (i.e. non-controversial) stem cell material to cure spinal cord injury. The success of these trials will possibly have positive ramifications on those with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and individuals with brain injuries. SCI Cure is the only foundation like it in the world that is ready for this step." Dr. Michel Levesque of Cedars Sinai and UCLA Medical Center will lead the procedures.

Of the 'Office' cast the winner will get to meet, Marcus says, "They're seriously, really down to earth -- both hospitable and affable. Since Steve [Carell] is so grounded and genuinely nice, it sets a good example. Everyone's pretty funny, though, and nice to work and chat with."

In his four episodes guest-starring on the show, York has racked up some special memories. "One of my favorites was that we were literally gambling the entire time we shot the 'Casino Night' finale for season two," he says. "Well, not with money, but getting paid to play-gamble all day. Roulette, blackjack, whatever ... it was fun. Another one was 'The Injury' -- Michael's comments were just so silly, I remember thinking, 'Lord, I hope these kind of people don't actually still exist in our society.'"

York and SCI Cure have gone far already, meeting with President Barack Obama's staff about the cause in January. York wrote to the President to discuss the foundation's cause -- "My phone rang, and we had a very successful meeting at the White House."

Click here to donate $1 to SCI Cure and earn a chance at an 'Office' vacation . Multiple entries are accepted for greater chances to win.

For further inquiries, contact @MarcusYork on Twitter.