A Kitchener family that has dealt with hardships this year when their grandfather, Grant Wight, had emergency open-heart surgery, received a great gift from Afterglow this weekend. We surprised the Wight’s and two other Region of Waterloo families Saturday morning.
L to R: Grant Wight, Betty Ann Wight, Stephen McDonald.
“We started the Furnace Giveaway back in 2012 and are switching things up this year,” said our General Manager Stephen McDonald.
When we visited our 2014 Furnace Giveaway nominees, we realized their furnaces were in decent working condition and needed repairs or maintenance, but did not need to be replaced.
“We decided to fix up the three families furnaces which needed the most maintenance,” explained McDonald. “Afterglow will also be providing these families with a one year Care Package, including free furnace cleanings, maintenance, and a new carbon monoxide detector.”
The second family that Afterglow will be servicing this year is the Duffy’s. A Cambridge family has been in and out of McMaster Medical Hospital for the past year, as their daughter was born with life threatening medical issues. Neither parent has medical coverage, and the cost of furnace maintenance is not their top financial priority, even though their furnace needs a thorough cleaning.
“We are incredibly grateful that Afterglow is doing this for our family,” said Fran Duffy.
L to R: Shamus Duffy, Rick Duffy, Stephen McDonald, Fran Duffy, Molly Duffy.
Their son Shamus LOVED our Afterglow blanket. He asked his parents if he could bring it to school!
The final winner of Afterglow’s Giveaway is Charléne Le Duc, a Kitchener resident who is extremely community-minded. She spends the majority of her time giving back to the Region of Waterloo. Every week she hands out hats, gloves, and scarves in downtown Kitchener.
L to R: Stephen McDonald, Charléne Le Duc
When Afterglow inspected Le Duc’s home they recognized she did not have a carbon monoxide detector and her furnace needed some maintenance.
“This is an absolutely amazing initiative,” commented Le Duc, “Heart, business, philanthropy and all round goodness. Bravo!”
It’s amazing to see how appreciative residents are of the Furnace Giveaway.
We just want to quickly thank everyone who made our 3rd annual Furnace Giveaway possible. A big shout to CTV Kitchener for coming along for the ride today!
Happy Holidays!
Afterglow. Water, warmth, well-being.