|
JULY 2008 Serving the HVACR and Plumbing Industries Established in 1986 |
|
God Bless America |
|
Our newest team members for Consultant’s Corner answer questions relating to business, marketing and sales.
Do you have a question you’d like to ask?? Submit your inquiries to actodaypub@yahoo.com to obtain free advice from these experts in contractor consulting. |
|
“The Bottom Line" |
|
Luxaire® & Make-A-Wish Foundation® Grant Brothers a Cool Wish Solar Supply provides air conditioning in boys’ home to ease discomfort of medical condition
Norman, OK – Some children wish for a trip to Walt Disney World. Others look forward to a cruise with their family. Still others ask to spend time with their favorite celebrity. Very few, however, when given the opportunity to make their dreams come true with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, request air conditioning for their home. That’s probably because few children suffer from epidermolysis bullosa, the rare skin disease that prevents brothers Juan Daniel and Gilberto from being exposed to sunlight and heat without painful consequences. Living in southern Texas, where temperatures can pass the 100-degree mark through October, the brothers are forced to spend most of their lives indoors. Until recently, that meant sharing the only room in their home that was air conditioned – their bedroom. The boys’ wish for the coolness air conditioning offers was also a wish for the freedom to roam their home, the chance to visit with family and friends, and the opportunity to be alone sometimes. That was the wish that the boys presented to Ava Sandlin, executive director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Rio Grande Valley. According to Sandlin, the Rio Grande Valley chapter covers six counties in the southernmost tip of Texas. Last year the chapter granted 63 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, and this year the chapter is on target to grant 78 wishes before the end of the organization’s fiscal year August 31. “That’s quite an accomplishment,” said Sandlin, “especially when you consider our chapter is among the poorest in the country, and we have no large corporations based in our area to solicit for funding.” In granting the wish of Juan Daniel and Gilberto, the Make-A-Wish Foundation received some much needed help from Luxaire® Heating and Air Conditioning and its distributor Solar Supply, Inc. As a corporate sponsor, Luxaire donates a portion of every sale of a Luxaire product toward a minimum annual contribution of $250,000 to the foundation. The foundation then redistributes a significant portion of the dollars raised to Make-A-Wish chapters in local Luxaire distributor/dealer markets. In addition, the Luxaire network of dealers and distributors like Solar Supply organize a variety of fundraising activities, including raffles, golf outings and events affiliated with Minor League Baseball, Central Hockey League and Arena Football League teams. As a result, Solar Supply has been able to underwrite one wish each year for Sandlin’s chapter. According to Sandlin, the boys were living together in a single, small bedroom with an old air conditioner that was in need of replacement. When Quitman Moon, regional sales manager for Solar Supply, heard of their plight, he contacted Hector Cavazos, manager of the Solar Supply office in McAllen, Texas. Cavazos, in turn, visited the boys’ home to measure the house and determine the best way to give them the air conditioning they so desperately wanted and needed. “After looking at the house, I recommended that we not install central air,” said Cavazos. “I was afraid that even the smallest piece of fiberglass from the ductwork might cause more harm than good if it got into the boys’ wounds. Also, the house needed to be completely rewired to make it safe enough to support a central air conditioning system. Finally, if the system broke down for any reason, there would be no way to keep the boys cool. So, I recommended the installation of window units to provide the necessary cooling.” Following Cavazos’ recommendation, window units were purchased and installed using funds from Solar Supply and Luxaire, providing cooling for the entire house. “We also wanted to give the boys things to help them entertain themselves, since so much of their life was spent indoors,” said Sandlin. “So, we purchased a television, an electronic game system, games and headsets for each child.” While technicians installed the air conditioners in the boys’ home, Sandlin joined Juan Daniel and Gilberto, members of their family and friends for a surprise party, complete with gifts, at the boys’ favorite restaurant. “When they got back home,” she recalled, “the kids were totally surprised to be wheeled into a cool home that also happened to have new TVs and electronic game systems. “It’s just an incredible story,” Sandlin continued. “The granting of this wish has opened up a whole new world for this family and these children. They can move throughout their home and visit with family and friends. And they can even be apart from one another if that’s what they want. Luxaire and Solar Supply didn’t just make a difference in the lives of Juan Daniel and Gilberto, they absolutely changed the lives of these children every day.” According to Moon, Solar Supply funds from four to eight wishes a year for the Make-A-Wish chapters located in the communities where Solar Supply does business. At the end of the 2007 program year, Luxaire had contributed more than $1.5 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation nationally. “Our partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation is in its sixth year, “said Luxaire Brand Manager Jeff Hurt. ”The enthusiasm of people like Quitman Moon and Hector Cavazos takes our national commitment to the local level and puts a very personal face on the work we are able to do together, supporting the children in the communities where we live and work. It makes all of us feel good about the work we do and continues to drive the success of the partnership.” The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 67 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 164,000 heartfelt wishes since 1980. |