Big O Tires donates $50,000 to cancer foundation

Oct. 19, 2006

Big O Tires Inc., through its more than 540 stores, has donated $50,000 to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

Liz Scott, mother of the late Alexandra Scott, met with a group of franchisee representatives (Franchise Advisory Council) and corporate staff recently in the corporate offices to accept the donation.

At four years old, "Alex" had started Alex's Lemonade Stand to help fund pediatric cancer research. Liz related how Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer, two days before her first birthday.

Alex's idea has evolved into a nationwide fundraising movement for childhood cancer. Before she passed away at age eight -- following numerous surgeries and treatments -- Alex witnessed Alex's Lemonade Stands being set up in hundreds of locations and raising more than $6 million for researching cures for pediatric cancer.

In July of this year, Big O Tires stores set up lemonade stands at their stores and provided information about the Alex's Lemonade Stand national charity to their customers. Envelopes also were provided for interested persons to mail donations directly to the foundation to help fund pediatric cancer research.

John Adams, president of Big O Tires, and Bruce Cherry, chairman of the Franchise Advisory Council and a franchisee from Dublin, Calif., presented the $50,000 check to Liz, who thanked the group for all its efforts.

"It was awesome that over $7,200 had been mailed in by Big O customers in envelopes mostly containing one or five dollar bills," she said.

For more information on the charity, visit www.alexslemonade.org.