Triple Peaks Roofinfg Supports Special Olympics

You might wonder how a roofing company like Triple Peaks gets involved with the Special Olympics. Special Olympics is an organization that that works with children and adults with intellectual disabilities who want to participate in sports and sports competitions. We’d like to share with you how our values of Pride, Performance, and Professionalism connect to our work with non-profit organizations like Special Olympics.

Thirteen years ago, I met Andy, an Intervention Specialist with the Elyria City Schools who had a son, Drew, with lifelong challenges. Andy describes his son’s life as follows:

Drew was born in Oct of 1995 with a heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. By the time he was one year old, he had two open heart surgeries and spent several months of his first year in the hospital. We were told to be prepared that he may need a heart transplant at some time. What we were not prepared for was Drew having a stroke when he was one and a half years old. The stroke caused right side paralysis in his arm and leg along with minor brain damage. A year and one day later, Drew had a heart transplant, he was two and a half years old.

Due to the stroke, Drew has had many years of physical and occupational therapy. He has shown more courage and strength dealing with what life has dealt him than I could imagine. Drew is now your typical teenager, he loves to play baseball, basketball and has even made the high school bowling team for the last three years. All that without the use of his right hand and limited range in his right leg. Drew is a competitor and the Special Olympics have been an outlet that shows that. He has competed in the Special Olympics through Elyria City Schools since he was 6 years old and has even represented Elyria Schools in Columbus in the State games where he has won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals competing against his peers. Drew played for the Elyria Special Olympic basketball team for several years and was even on a team that came in second in the state. The next year that team won the state crown, but Drew made the high school bowling team that year and didn’t play basketball.

Of all the medals he has won, the one that means the most is a silver he received in Columbus for the softball throw. We had been practicing all spring and early summer, he was getting stronger on every throw. Drew was ready for that event in Columbus. Before the event, he was talking to another competitor, I thought it was just boys talking. The other boy threw and Drew was up, all he had to do was throw like we had been practicing and he had the gold medal. Drew threw the first one, it was OK, not great. Then the second one, not his best but still good. Then the last throw was about 10 feet shy of his practice throws. He ended up with a silver medal – the other boy won the gold. I asked him why he didn’t try his hardest when he could have won and he said the other boy was sad because he hadn’t won a medal and this was his last chance. This is what the Special Olympics means, in an unselfish move, Drew wanted the other boy to feel what it was like to stand on the top step of the podium. I could not have been more proud of my son.

I have great respect for what Drew has accomplished over the years. He has overcome so many challenges that could have been roadblocks, but made him stronger along the way. His dad is clearly proud of Drew in so many ways – for his perseverance, integrity, and work ethic. At Triple Peaks Roofing, we think of our work as more than an end to means, focusing on quality workmanship and excellent customer service.

I am impressed with the number of medals that Drew has won over the years and the success he has had both individually as an athlete and on the many teams he participated in. His performance is astounding. At Triple Peaks, we strive for high performance, ensuring that we are up-to-date with the latest materials and installation techniques, that our staff are certified installers for the manufacturers we use, and that our customers are satisfied with the work and service they receive. That’s one of the reasons why we received the Angie’s List 2013 Super Service Award.

I admire Drew’s desire to help others and make everyone feel like a winner. The story his dad told of that day when he thought of others before himself was inspiring. A big part of professionalism has to do with the way you present yourself to others. In that respect, Drew is a professional. At Triple Peaks, we exhibit our professionalism in everything we do – from the way we dress to the way we look to the way we maintain our vehicles and equipment.

So, it is easy for a roofing company like Triple Peaks to support the Special Olympics when the characteristics of the athletes mesh so well with the values of our company. We hope that you will choose to support the Special Olympics as well. For more information on ways you can get involved, please visit www.specialolympics.org.