Eldon MO-based Opies Transport Inc and its employees put forth team effort in financing and supporting fund-raising events for worthy causes.
On Labor Day, the firm participated in the Jerry Lewis muscular dystrophy telethon. Opies has participated in this telethon for more than 15 years. Kenneth Albert, vice-president of marketing, presented a check for $1,500 on behalf of Opies employees.
At the MS150 Bike Tour, held Sept 7-8, Opies transported drinking water to about 1,400 cyclists for the annual fund-raising tour. Opies has been a corporate sponsor of this bike tour for the past 15 years.
Three tractor-trailer units were fitted with drinking fountains, cleaned and sanitized, and filled with quality drinking water to be delivered to stops on the tour in support of the cyclists. Opies employees drove the tank trailers to deliver water.
Employees and their families who donated time were: over-the-road driver Tom Wilkerson from Mexico MO; dispatcher Todd Wildhaber and his friend Vena Christie from Jefferson City MO; driver recruiter Corby Taylor and his wife, Linda, from Camdenton MO; safety director Jim Henley, his daughter, Susan Freeman, and her son Cole, all of Eldon MO; and Danny Opie and his sister Peggy (Opie) Head. Jim Henley has donated his time to this cause for the past 15 years.
The 2002 MS150 is expected to raise more than $600,000 to fight multiple sclerosis.