SIDNEY — Continental Express honored two of their employees in a big way on Thursday.
They unveiled a brand-new 2016 pink Susan G. Komen freight-liner truck in honor of two of their employees who fought and survived breast cancer. Becky Schmiesing, of Minster, and Mickie McGowan, of Botkins, were completely surprised at what their colleagues were planning.
“You guys made it easier to get through it. I hope you never have to know the support we got,” Schmiesing said to the group of employees who gathered on Thursday.
The company purchased this truck for one of its drivers to drive in the hope of bringing awareness to not only breast cancer, but all other forms of cancer.
McGowan works second shift as an accounting clerk and assists the dispatchers. Thursday was her day off and her family told her she was going to a Tupperware party to get her there.
She was surprised and had no idea her co-workers were putting together this surprise.
McGowan was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2014. Then again in October 2014, doctors found it for a second time. So she had two surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. She had a checkup at the end of August and everything was just fine.
“I kept on working. It helped a lot. My job was probably my anchor because physically I just didn’t have energy, but I could sit at my desk and work,” McGowan said.
Schmiesing is the office manager and McGowan’s supervisor and has been for 23 years.
“She came to me and said, ‘I think I have a problem.’ And I said, ‘oh no.’ Because I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I had just been through. But she just did great and now she’s down, too,” McGowan said.
She has worked at Continental Express for 30 years.
Schmiesing was diagnosed in February of this year. She found it in January herself. Hers was a unique kind. It was a triple-negative related to genetics, and McGowan’s was hormonal. Every kind is different and treated differently, said Schmiesing.
She was treated at the Stefanie Spielman center in Columbus and she said they treated her very well every time she was there.
Continental Express is also doing other fundraisers throughout the year and the month of October, including raffling off a parking spot and holding a run/walk in Tawawa Park at the end of the month. All proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.
