Roadway is Proud to Showcase a Special Tribute to John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil in the Exhibit this Year
AKRON, Ohio-- Roadway is proud to present the third season of "Time of Greatness" Tour - a mobile museum dedicated to the history of Negro Leagues Baseball. The tour will stop in 15 cities throughout the 2007 baseball season, including a first-time stop in Denver, Colorado. Many of the "Times of Greatness" Tour stops also coincide with Negro Leagues heritage days at the stadiums.
This unique 53-foot mobile museum includes a dynamic tour through the rich history of Negro Leagues Baseball featuring historic photos, video, artifacts, uniforms and other memorabilia. The exhibit also features a life-size replica of baseball legend Leroy "Satchel" Paige plus baseball-related history specific to the local area the tour is visiting.
"Roadway has done an admirable job connecting the history of a past era with values that are still in place today... my father would be very proud," stated Robert Paige, Roadway driver and son of Satchel Paige.
This year's tour will feature a special tribute (including video, audio and artifacts) to John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil, who passed away on October 6, 2006, at the age of 94. Buck O'Neil had a selfless dedication to the sport of baseball, serving as chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and on the Veteran's Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
One of the most important things to Buck besides baseball was education. He was a leader on the "Times of Greatness" Tour for the past two years, traveling to many of the stadiums and visiting with players and fans. In recognition of his contributions to the game of baseball and his tireless efforts to preserve the legacy of the Negro Leagues, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has launched the Thanks a Million Buck campaign to raise funds for the John "Buck" O'Neil Education and Research Center. The new center will be part of an expansion of the Negro Leagues Museum to be built at the historic Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, the birthplace of the Negro Leagues.
"Roadway is very proud to be partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in sharing the unique and powerful story of Negro Leagues Baseball," said Terry Gilbert, president of Roadway. "Through the themes of speed, reliability, innovation and teamwork, the exhibit is an exciting and eye-opening journey into a rarely examined piece of American history. We are also proud that we can pay tribute to the great Buck O'Neil, who was the heart and soul of this tour the past two years."
"The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is proud of its partnership with Roadway," said Bob Kendrick, director of marketing for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. "We thank the organization for its considerable investment, its belief in the importance of the history of the Negro Leagues, and for introducing a vast audience to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum through the third season of this historic barnstorming tour."
Kendrick continued, "We'd like to especially thank Roadway for paying tribute to Buck. He will be greatly missed by all. Buck would not want us to dwell on his passing; he would want us to share these important stories with as many people as possible."
