Last Thursday, December 12th, was not business as usual here at North American Roofing. Instead, it was a day of shopping, wrapping and delivering happiness to local families in need during the holiday season. There was no shortage of laughter and good cheer as more than 120 North American Roofing employees, from across the country, participated in our 4th annual StarWish event.
With a strong dedication to family and community, North American Roofing, an employee-owned company, donated close to $10,000 to bring the magic of Christmas to 12 “adopted” families this year. The event was coordinated with assistance from the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM).
We kicked the day off by breaking into teams, with holiday names like the “French Hens” and the “Swimming Swans,” from the 12 Days of Christmas. Each team had a family “wish list,” and a massive shopping spree at local retail stores ensued. Loaded down with gifts, everybody then returned to the warehouse at our corporate office and cranked up Santa’s Workshop to get everything wrapped and ready for delivery.
And the best always get saved for last — delivering the gifts. Kelly Wade, our VP, told local news station WLOS 13 that the real reward comes in seeing the grateful expressions in the children’s faces when they receive “…the most basic things that none of us would think twice about having.” And everybody else participating would agree. Not every gift came with a holiday bow. One little boy who dreams of being a pilot one day received two free flight trips from a local pilots’ club.
We capped the day off with our annual holiday party, complete with some great bluegrass music, BBQ and a bonfire.
It was an uplifting and poignant day — a day when we all got a chance to remember how good it feels to help others. At North American Roofing, we often brag about having the best employees around, and on last Thursday, they proved us right once again.