Steve Welchel watched his wife’s mother, Ana Virginia Castro Jenkins, fight against ovarian cancer and eventually succumb to the disease.
The close-knit family behind Marietta Wrecker Service was so affected by the experience that they decided to dedicate a truck in honor of Ana and to help spread awareness throughout the community.
“As a family, we wanted to find an organization to support that would make a difference, and we wanted to feel deeply connected to the cause,” said Heather Welchel Edens, director of marketing for Marietta Wrecker Service. “We wanted to find a meaningful way to honor the loved one we lost and we wanted to spread awareness and education about ovarian cancer in the hopes that it could save a life.”
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The family-owned and operated commercial towing, recovery and transport company with a 40-year history in Marietta, has been partnering with Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance on events and raising money for its mission.
The company has a dedicated Teal Truck on the road every day, serving as a mobile billboard for ovarian cancer awareness. The truck features a custom design with the signature teal color of the cause, and its driver wears a teal uniform every day and hands out symptom cards and awareness bracelets in an effort to educate the community.
Additionally, the company has opened a donation page and matches donations dollar-for-dollar to support GOCA’s mission. Awareness is key because there is no test for ovarian cancer, making early detection and treatment key to increasing the odds of survival.
Like Marietta Wrecker Service, people can give back and support GOCA’s mission. The nonprofit seeks volunteers who want to support GOCA by attending its events throughout the year, such as the Teal Trot 5K Walk/Run on Sept. 16 at Chastain Park.
Volunteers can also help GOCA by hosting an awareness or Lunch & Learn session at their place of employment, church, sorority or similar groups and organizations.
“Through our relationship with Marietta Wrecker Service, we hope to reach a larger male audience who can share the information with their wives, mothers and daughters,” said Doug Barron, executive director for GOCA.
In other news
- Sixteen children from Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Bartow, and Barrow counties, ages 5-17, will receive donated Onyx Electronic Video Magnifiers and other assistive technology from Sight Savers America, a nationally expanding nonprofit organization that provides eye care and low vision services at no cost to qualifying individuals. All 16 children have severe visual impairment that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, medical or surgical treatment. The children were identified and referred to Sight Savers America's low vision program through local teachers of the visually impaired and the Center for the Visually Impaired.
- Clothes Less Traveled Thrift Shop in Peachtree City awarding a grant of $25,000 to Christian City Children's Village, a safe place for children who have been abused or abandoned. Clothes Less Traveled serves the needs of the community by operating a thrift shop selling gently-used household goods and clothing. The thrift store also provides an opportunity for volunteers to perform community service. Profits are distributed as scholarships, vouchers and grants to qualified recipients and 501(c)3 organizations. Information: www.clotheslesstraveled.org or 770-486-8517.
