Business & Tech
Shelby Company to Award New Roof to Family in Need
For the fourth year, Shelby Township's Ridgecon Construction will give away a roof to a family that needs financial assistance–and you can help decide who gets it.
Two years ago, Mike and Grace Ann Brunicardi were going through some super tough times. Mike was in ill health and had been laid off for 15 months. The roof on their Macomb Township home was literally flaking away and the family lacked the funds to replace it.
Then, friends and relatives nominated them for the “No Roof Left Behind” program offered by Shelby Township roofing company Ridgecon Construction, which provides a free roof to a deserving family in need. The Brunicardis were selected to receive the free roof.
“The program was such a blessing to our family,” said Mike Brunicardi, in a past interview with Patch. “Our roof was in very bad shape and Ridgecon came in and did a very professional, very clean job and even provided food and entertainment for our family while they worked.”
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You can help decide which family will receive a free roof from Ridgecon this year. The company has now opened voting for the public to select one of four finalists to win the fourth No Roof Left Behind giveaway.
The inspiration for the promotion came from hundreds of conversations with local homeowners and the desire to give back to the community it serves, according to Jay Elie, who co-owns the business with his brother Matt.
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“So many hardworking people just can’t squeeze another dime out of the household budget, let alone a new roof,” Jay said, in a previous interview with Patch. “We just want to do something to help in the community that has supported our families for so long.”
This year's finalists include families from Sterling Heights, Eastpointe, Roseville and Chesterfield Township.
Votes can be cast through Sept. 7 and the comments of those casting ballots can be viewed at www.noroofleftbehind.com/competition/MI/Macomb.
“Although No Roof Left Behind is a local program we expect people to cast ballots not only within Macomb County, but throughout the state and across the country, and even around the globe,” Jay said, in a prepared statement. “In the past three years of the program, we’ve received votes from as close to home as our neighbors down the street to as far away as Australia and many locations in between.”
Ridgecon will announce the winner on Sept. 10 and the installation will occur later that month in a block party atmosphere.
Ridgecon invites other area businesses to participate in the promotion by donating lunch for the workers, entertainment for the winning family or a financial contribution to offset the rising price of materials. Interested businesses can explore these needs on the program’s website, www.noroofleftbehind.com. Click on the “sponsors” tab.
Meet the Finalists
Geraldine “Geri” Walsh, Sterling Heights: Geri’s roof is in such bad shape the city is going to fine her if it is not replaced. Unfortunately, Geri has experienced far greater challenges over the last several years. In 1998 after Geri and her husband purchased a new home, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Tragically, three years later, on Christmas Day 2001, Geri’s husband passed away, leaving her with their three young boys (now 15, 16, 21) to raise alone. Although Geri beat her first bout with breast cancer and another in 2006, the cancer metastasized, spreading to her liver where it has been diagnosed as incurable. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is on leave of absence from her job.
Dawn Singleton, Eastpointe: Dawn was struck by a car on March 8 and has been hospitalized ever since. She was initially paralyzed from the neck down, but recently has regained some feeling in her extremities. Unfortunately, her hands have not recovered enough to communicate through sign language with her husband who is deaf. Dawn’s recovery has been slow. She hopes to walk into her home when she returns and eventually enjoy a full recovery. In the meantime, she is facing many challenges including a home that needs some updating to meet her current physical condition. Her current roof has a number of patchwork fixes in place and is in need of a complete replacement.
Gerald Zanger, Roseville: According to neighbors, Jerry and his family have been an incredible staple in the community for 20 years -- always there to help and give back to the neighborhood. Now neighbors hope Ridgecon Construction will be giving Jerry a new roof that he can’t afford to purchase himself after losing his job and being saddled with astronomical medical bills due to a liver transplant that saved his life on his birthday last year. His roof is in such bad shape, the Zangers will be forced to move if they can’t replace it, leaving them with nowhere to go as they owe more on their house than it is worth.
Pam Percha, Chesterfield: Ms. Pam, as she is known to many, is a single, unemployed mother of two sons. Due to budget cuts, she recently lost her job as a para-professional at a local elementary school where she was considered a staple and a saint. Ms. Pam always had a kind word of encouragement for her students and put her heart into her job everyday. Her roof is in a sad state of disrepair with shingles that are either peeling or broken into pieces. Unfortunately, with bills piling up, purchasing a new roof is beyond her financial reach so her friends are happy to be given the opportunity to, “help Ms. Pam as she has helped ALL OF US!”
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