I often write about the concrete industry but it’s really more of a concrete community with people from all walks of life and at every level, from executive to laborer. We are all involved one way or another with building things out of concrete and therefore have a deep commitment to our local community and its people. There are countless examples of concrete industry members donating their time and treasure to better their community but few who have taken that to heart quite like Mike Murray.
Mike basically gave up all of his revenue-producing activities to found and promote Concrete Cares, an organization dedicated to focusing on fighting cancer on the local level. Concrete Cares hosts fundraising events in communities across America, aiming to make a difference in the local community by enabling friends, relatives, and families to join the fight to provide support for those stricken with cancer. And, of course, he uses concrete as part of this effort and relies on our community for support.
Here’s what Mike recently reported about the work Concrete Cares did at the 2018 World of Concrete and plans for the rest of this year:
Concrete Cares was fighting cancer the concrete way at World of Concrete where for the third year we were able to support the work of the Candlelighters Childhood Foundation of Nevada. At the end of the show, we presented them with a check for $35,000, not including our credit card receipts and cash which was sent later bringing the total to just a little over $50,000. We also gave them over 90 children's DVDs which will go to children being treated for cancer in local hospitals and treatment centers. We also provided several restaurants gift cards and golf packages for their Evening of Hope fundraiser.
March 8 to 10 found us returning to the Arkansas Ready-Mixed Concrete Association convention with Rita Madison where we raised over $8000 to help McKenzie West (a young lady with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia) and the Danny Martin Family.
For 2018 we have plans for more Concrete Cares logos on trucks, cars, and equipment to show we fight cancer locally the concrete way, one yard at a time. We also plan to host a Rocky Geans business school at Allen Engineering in October with all proceeds going to help local families and children dealing with the reality of cancer.**************************************
I also recently received a press release from the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council. That group heard the call from Concrete Cares for DVDs of popular children’s movies to distribute to children in hospitals. Here’s what they reported:
Enter the Cheshire Public Library and the Friends of the Cheshire Library. Tom and Debbie Morck, directors of the annual library book sale were the resource that volunteer Dominic Di Cenzo (and Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council's Executive Director) approached for DVD donations. Tom Morck commented that “During every book sale, we get donations of used DVDs and the library also rotates older titles out of stock. When Dom called us, we very quickly organized the first shipment of more than 60 children’s DVDs from the materials we had on hand. Dom’s organization took it from there, boxing up the DVDs and shipping them to Mike in Arkansas for Concrete Cares.”
Di Cenzo commented that, “The Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council is challenging other Ready-Mixed Concrete Associations around the country to join in donating any ‘gently used’ children’s movies for the Concrete Cares cause. There is probably no family in the concrete community that has not been affected by cancer in one way or another. Ready Mix Associations should reach out to their membership and libraries in their communities as a resource for donations and send them to Concrete Cares. As Mike Murray says, we can beat cancer one yard at a time.”
What can you do to support this worthy cause? For more information on Concrete Cares visit concretecares.com or contact Donna Murray, president of Concrete Cares, at 913-634-2531. Mike Murray can be reached at 913-634-2267.
