16 | September/October 2015
S
piderman, Disney's Elsa from "Frozen"
and individuals from 30 other teams agreed
to "lace it, race it" and face autism together at
the fifth annual Autism 5k Run and Walk in
Akron, Ohio.
Davey's Lisa Dresp, payroll clerk at the
corporate office, joined the cause with her
family as TEAM MIRA-CLE to represent
her 8-year-old daughter, Mira, who has been
identified in the spectrum.
"The race started five years ago, and we have
been doing it ever since," Dresp says. "It's a
great way to give back to the community that
has helped us through my daughter's diagnosis."
Ultimately, TEAM MIRA-CLE and all other
race participants raised more than $80,000 total
for The Autism Society of Greater Akron,
based in Fairlawn, Ohio. All donations provide
essential autism-related resources, from educa-
tion to programs for families in the area.
"It was raining the entire day," Dresp adds.
"But it was all for a good cause!"
Lace it. Race it. Face it.
Idea submitted by: Lisa Dresp,
payroll clerk, corporate office
The children were thrilled when Spiderman
and Disney's Elsa from "Frozen" made
a special appearance.
Groundman Kenneth Lee
received a letter and a challenge coin from
the Fernandina Beach Police Department.
From Trees to Thieves
"It was a normal day; I was trimming trees
around the back entrance of a local school,"
says Kenneth Lee, groundman on the Florida
Public Utilities account.
It may have seemed like any ordinary day
on the job, but when a suspicious teen walked
past Lee that morning, his work day suddenly
turned around.
"We saw the young man walking out of the
school fence with his hood up and head
down and a bag full of electronics," Lee
says. "I thought he stole a computer
from the school."
Lee felt uneasy about the situation and
called 911. Halfway through his call to the
Fernandina Beach Police Department, the boy
returned. Two minutes later, the police arrived.
Lee provided the officer a detailed descrip-
tion of the thief and his last location. With this
information, officers could chase down and
apprehend the young man—stopping the thief
from contributing to future crimes in the area.
"Later that day, the same officer stopped and
thanked us for calling it in," Lee says. "Turns
out, the thief had an entire room full of stolen
items, ranging from computers to rifles."
A week later, Lee received a package in
the mail, including a "challenge coin" and
a letter from the head of the Fernandina
Beach Police Department thanking him for
his help in apprehending a thief and keeping
Fernandina safe.
Idea submitted by: Mike Mittiga,
operations manager, Gulf region
Lisa Dresp (pictured right) and her husband, sister and
daughters, including Mira, walked on TEAM MIRA-CLE for
Mira Dresp, who has been identified in the spectrum.
