Last week, Joyce Handlin of Merrill was startled when she looked out her living room window and saw a full size pick-up truck and enclosed trailer backing into the yard of the home owned by her and husband Al.
“I heard something and wasn’t quite sure if someone was here or someone was outside just fooling around,” Joyce explains. “So I look out the window and there is this truck and trailer backing in! I wasn’t sure what to think and was still half asleep!”
Much to their pleasure, the couple soon realized the equipment was from Ryan Ott Development and Construction of Merrill.
Last fall, Ott volunteered to donate his time and labor to install a brand new roof on the Handlin home, while Trinity Lutheran Church and School assembled a fund raiser to purchase the necessary shingles.
The effort stemmed from a contest for a free roof, which the Handlin’s children secretly entered their parents into. When Al and Joyce were selected, it came as a pleasant surprise to all involved.
“The contest was looking for worthy/deserving individuals or organizations and we feel our parents have given selflessly, and deserved a generous return,” stated daughter Kristin Handlin.
Younger sister Kathe was overjoyed when she learned of Trinity reaching out to her parents in the form of a fund raiser.
“I was ecstatic that it was our family!” the mother of three adds. “When I read it in the church bulletin, I cried tears of joy!”
Al and Joyce’s reactions were that of shock and awe.
“We were just shocked and blessed at the same time,” Al states as his eyes water a bit. “When you raise children, you hope you’re doing right by them. You know, raising them to be good people. But something like this is just off the charts. We were just so grateful they did this for us.”
“We had no idea we were even in the contest, until Kristin called one day and told us someone was coming to take a picture of the house,” Joyce explains.”I remember saying, ‘What! Why!?’ and she explained we were finalists for a new roof in a contest at the fair. It was a shock, and when I read the letter I balled!”
The initial plan was to begin work before winter set in, unfortunately that wasn’t possible. As Joyce explains, the final bundle of shingles was sponsored shortly after the first snowfall.
But last Wednesday morning, Ryan Ott and crew arrived and got to work.
“I asked him if he needed us to move anything or do anything to help,” Joyce adds with a chuckle. “He just smiled and shook his head and said ‘nope, I think we have it all under control.’”
Al and Joyce were seemingly at a loss for words when asked about their new roof finally arriving.
“This whole thing has just been so humbling,” Al explains. “To think so many people came together to do this for us, it’s hard to put into words how blessed and appreciative we are. We just want to sincerely thank each and every person who helped us from the bottom of our hearts, and a really big thank you to Ryan.”
“I don’t think he knows how much this means to us,” Joyce adds.
According to Ott, along with new shingles, he and his crew also took care of a few additional repairs for the couple including new flashing and plans to assist with painting the home in the future.
“The Handlin’s are such great people,” Ott said. “It was our pleasure to be able to do this for them and continue to help them out in the future.”
Ott estimates the total project to be worth nearly $9,000.