And like a family, tradespeople and suppliers who work with Staikos and Geertsma have rallied to make the build a success and maximize the donation to Quinte Health Care.
This week we profile contributors to the Staikos Home Build:
Space Age Shelving
Space Age Shelving owner, Ron Bouwers, his wife, Janet, and their three children are all living happy, healthy lives, but that doesn’t mean Ron isn’t very aware of how important health care is.
Like most of us, he had brushes with the health care system raising a young family with the usual visits to the doctor and occasional rush to Emerg as the kids were growing up. And Janet is an RN who has shared insights and stories from having worked at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf, Northumberland Hills Hospital and is now at Kingston General Hospital. But Ron’s true appreciation of our health care system comes from the experience of others in his family.
For twenty years now, Ron’s family has been dealing with the aftermath of a tragic accident. His nephew, who was then only two years old; a bright and bubbly young fellow, full of promise and his whole life ahead of him, tumbled down a 60 well. In a matter of seconds lives were changed forever. Now a young man, the nephew has been confined to a wheelchair since the accident. He has limited motor skills and requires around the clock care. And as if there weren’t enough, Ron also has a family member battling cancer.
“When your own family is involved, it hits close to the heart.” Ron says in explaining why he is contributing to both the Staikos and Geertsma Home Builds.Ron has owned Space Age Shelving for the past four years. He bought the business from Gary Dafoe who had owned the company for the previous twenty years and was very well known. Gary still works in the business on a part-time basis.
Space Age Shelving provides service from Kingston to Belleville, Cobourg, Gananoque, Smith Falls, Madoc, Marmora and The County. Space Age Shelving is installed into new and existing homes based on design plans, for commercial projects such as providing stainless steel shelving for EMS (Emergency Response Services) and for high-rises.
Although considered a small company a small company with four employees, they are proud to be able to provide shelving to the majority of home builders in the Belleville and Trenton area.
Ron didn’t hesitate to donate his time and materials to the home build project. “It’s nice to know the community is involved and that the funds raised from the home build project will help everyone.” he says.
Ponte Brothers Masonry Contractors
Carlos Ponte attended college because he wanted to learn Civil Engineering. He also learned that his heart was really in the family business where he had worked as a teenager with his father and uncle. So back he went to perfect his trade and learn the business.
That was twenty years ago. His father, Joe, and Uncle Gilbert are gone now, but 40 years after they started their company in Kingston, Carlos proudly continues his family’s commitment to high quality workmanship.“I had big shoes to fill,” Carlos says, “I often think of my father and uncle and hope they would be proud of how the business has continued.”
Carlos has worked with Staikos Homes for the past seven years and says he is pleased to be associated with a company with such a good standing in the community. When asked to contribute to the project, he was more than happy to contribute. Carlos has a soft spot for hospitals and the care they provide. He knows firsthand about how they save lives because a member of his family has had triple-bypass cardiac surgery.
“We all need to give back to the community and the hospital,” he says, “and everyone needs to do what they can.”
King’s Exterior
Not everyone involved in the Home Build for Health Care has had to use the services of the hospital. Some, like Lawrence King of King’s Exterior, are participating because they want to give back to the community that has been so good to them and they know that some day we all end up using the hospital.
Lawrence King has worked in the exterior aluminum business for thirty five years and started his own business sixteen years ago. His wife takes care of the office end of the business while Lawrence and their staff of seven do the site work which is concentrated in Belleville and Napanee.
Lawrence says he first met Nick Staikos through mutual friends and that they hit it off right away. That led to King’s Exterior working with Staikos Homes for the past five years. He says the association is a good one.
“We work with Staikos mainly because of Nick and Chris. In the industry, they are considered to be very conscientious, have a great reputation and everyone gets along.” Lawrence says. “All the trades work together, being flexible where necessary and ensuring they are always working on a clean site.”
When Nick Staikos asked King’s Exterior to donate their expertise and materials for the exterior aluminum on the Home Build Project at Canniff Mill Estates, Lawrence said yes immediately.
“We’ve been lucky and haven’t needed to use QHC,” Lawrence says, “But you never know when you might. And besides, if you want to give back to the community that supports you, you touch the most lives by giving to the hospital.”
