The Cook family of Mustang, Oklahoma, is like most families. They work hard and play harder. The parents, Mike and Maggie, have four boys — ages 26, 23, 16 and 8. Their youngest, Matthew, was diagnosed at age 2 with Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects Matthew’s intellectual development, balance, walking, sleep and speech.

The family has been on a quest to educate the public and raise awareness of the disease. The Cooks travel across the United States with their trailer hitched to their truck informing the public about the disease and children with special needs and disabilities.

To help them in their quest as they prepare for their second annual tour, Big O Tires has donated four tires plus installation for the family’s 2019 F150 4×4 truck, another donation. “The one thing we learned from last year’s trip is that pulling a camper for such a long trip can be very demanding on the vehicle so that is why we are reaching out,” wrote Mike Cook to the Big O Tires team.

“At Big O Tires, we pride ourselves in being the team you trust and making a difference in the local communities we serve in partnership with our Big O franchisees,” said John Kairys, VP & GM of Big O Tires. “Helping our community is more important now than ever. We jumped at the chance to assist the Cook family in raising awareness for Angelman Syndrome and look forward to maintaining our relationship and celebrating their successes along the way.” 

Big O Tires in Mustang, Oklahoma. installed the tires for the family. The store is owned and operated by MFA Petroleum Company, a Big O Tires franchisee with locations in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to work alongside of the Cook family and wish them the best of luck during their road trip this summer,” said Charlie Alexander, Big O Tires director of operations for MFA Petroleum Company.