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Joining other boats named to heighten CF awareness, the 65
ROSES barge (pictured above) pays tribute to those afflicted with
CF. The vessel will transport petroleum on the U.S. and Canada
West Coast. |
Powering the Quest for a Cure
Harley Franco, founder and chairman of Harley Marine Services, Inc. (HMS) and longtime volunteer and board member of the Washington Chapter’s Patrons of Cystic Fibrosis, christened a brand new double-hull barge, the 65 ROSES. "65 Roses" is what some children with cystic fibrosis call their disease because the words are much easier for them to pronounce.
Franco has been involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for more than 25 years. “When I was young, my friends, Chad and Resa Moore had a brand new baby girl with cystic fibrosis,” said Franco. “I barely knew what CF was, let alone how to pronounce it, but I knew I needed to help.”
In the mid-1980s Franco was a founding member of the Patrons of Cystic Fibrosis, a guild of CF volunteers from Seattle. Since then, Franco’s maritime company has become a champion for the CF cause. Harley Marine has embraced the search for a cure in its entirety — from financial support to donations of time and publicity for the cause. “We stand behind the CFF and believe strongly in its mission,” Franco said.
HMS sponsors multiple fundraisers to benefit the Foundation including “Cruisin’ for a Cure,” an auction opportunity, which offers bidders a chance to cruise on one of the company’s state-of-the-art tugboats. Employees also serve as volunteers at the Washington Chapter’s annual Breath of Life gala and participate in their local Great Strides walk, CF Mariners Care Golf Tournament and the very successful pub crawls, Fremont Troll Stroll and Kirkland Crawl in the Fall.
“CF has become a major part of HMS’s corporate outreach, and our work with the Foundation has, in turn, contributed to our success as a business,” said Franco. “It’s like we’re joined at the hip.”
Posted 04/20/10 |
