Aug. 27, 2006

Mizzou Director of Athletics Mike Alden, along with Director of Development Vince Volpe and Assistant Director of Media Relations Josh Murray, covered nearly 600 miles on Friday, making visits to Worth and Holt Counties in Northwest Missouri.

The first stop was at Worth County R-III School in Grant City, near the Iowa border. Superintendent Linda Gray-Smith and the school hosted an assembly in the school's gymnasium at which Alden addressed the students.

The MU staff members then made their way to Holt County, making a stop in Oregon, Mo. With the stop in Holt County in the books, Alden has made trips to 98 of the 114 counties in Missouri and all counties north of the Lake of the Ozarks.

Alden, Volpe and Murray also attended the Kansas City Alumni Picnic at the Pavilion at John Knox Village in Lee's Summitt, Mo. on Friday. At that event, Alden, UMC Chancellor Brady Deaton and Mizzou Head Men's Basketball Coach Mike Anderson spoke to the large crowd on hand.

Over the next four weeks, Alden will visit the remaining 16 counties in Southern Missouri. The next trip is a two-day venture that will cover St. Genevieve, Perry, Bollinger, Madison, Wayne Reynolds, Iron and Dent Counties on Sept. 13 and Webster, Wright, Douglas, Ozark, Stone and Barry Counties on Sept. 14.