Gateway Pet Guardians Declares Ron Ortyl Day
Ortyl’s Memorial Golf Tournament raises $41,000 for animal rescue in East St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS. (October 2, 2013) – Gateway Pet Guardians, a local nonprofit animal rescue, has partnered with the City of East St. Louis to declare September 17th Ron Ortyl Day in the city.
Ortyl was the owner and operator of Metro East Industries in East St. Louis and Alorton for 17 years before passing away in 2007. He always had a soft spot for animals and encouraged his employees to take in and care for sick or injured stray dogs and cats that would inevitably find their way onto Metro East’s 70 plus acre property.
Since his passing, Ortyl’s family has continued his legacy of caring for animals by supporting local animal welfare organizations and hosting an annual golf tournament in his name that benefits Gateway Pet Guardians, whose mission is to end homelessness for strays in East St. Louis through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, community outreach and education. This year’s tournament, held on September 17th, raised a record breaking $41,000 for the organization.
Executive Director Jamie Case states, “I would like to formally thank the Ortyl family – Cindy Ortyl Tampow, Jen Tampow Dolce, Mark Tampow Sr., Mark Tampow Jr., and of course Gayle Ortyl for all of their hard work putting on this amazing fundraiser. I am so astounded at the amount raised this year! Some of this money will go immediately into our savings account for a rainy day and the rest will keep us functioning smoothly for the year.”
“The tournament was a success because of the generous support of numerous people – including many affiliated with Gateway Pet Guardians who donated, attended and volunteered, so thank you all. Having the event is the easy part – rescuing, fostering, volunteering, educating, etc. is what those of us at Metro East Industries consider the more difficult end of it, and we wonder what we would do without Gateway Pet Guardians,” said Ortyl’s daughter, Cindy.
The money raised at this year’s tournament will support Gateway Pet Guardians’ current programs including food and veterinary care for stray and abandoned animals in East St. Louis and help community members better care for the pets in their custody. Metro East Industries’ 400 plus employees continue Ron Ortyl’s philosophy of caring for stray and injured animals on a regular basis regardless of their condition, providing them food, veterinary care and support.
About Metro East Industries
Founded in 1990 by the Ortyl family, MEI initially entered the industry with railcar repair service for railroads, leasing companies and private shippers. Our capability was expanded in 1995 by adding a Locomotive Division that provided repair services, both in the shop and in the field, This expansion allowed Metro East Industries to offer an even broader spectrum of services to Class 1 railroads, short line railroads, leasing companies, OEM’s and industrial accounts.
As the business progressed, Metro East Industries has continuously upgraded its facilities. Occupying 70+ acres in East Saint Louis/Alorton, Illinois, this industry leader has consistently added to and upgraded its two railcar repair shops, its blasting, painting and lining shop, its locomotive shop and scrapping/reclamation area, along with railcar and locomotive storage yards.
After two decades in business, the team has grown to 400 experienced employees, and we are confident our team is the best in the industry. The average employee has 17 years of experience, and we strive to protect each and every one of them. Our safety program involves total employee participation and has kept our team out of harm’s way.
Now a third generation family business, we are committed to serving our customers and our employees. We are confident you will find our values of teamwork, efficiency and top notch customer service present in every aspect of our business.
About Gateway Pet Guardians
Gateway Pet Guardians is a nonprofit virtual animal rescue that relies on donations and volunteer foster families to rescue starving and abandoned animals. Gateway Pet Guardians’ focused efforts in East St. Louis, IL and surrounding areas aim to end homelessness for animals in the Metro East through rescue, adoption, and community education. For more information about Gateway Pet Guardians, events, purchasing tickets, or to donate, volunteer, or become a foster family, visit www.gatewaypets.com.
This press release was featured in the November 2013 issue of the Gateway Pet Gazette.
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