South Otselic business gives to displaced fire victims
SOUTH OTSELIC – Gladding Braided Products employees embodied the true meaning of Christmas by giving up their holiday party – and more – to support the displaced Cox Block fire victims.
A beloved historic building in South Otselic, the Cox Block, was destroyed by a raging fire on Dec. 14 this year. The building housed 10 apartments of which five were rented. The individuals and families renting those apartments lost their homes to the flames.
“Most of the people just got out with the clothes on their backs. As far as we know, the people who lived there lost everything. There wasn't enough time to get anything substantial,” said Gladding Braided Products Vice President, Mike Radziwon.
The 198-year-old rope manufacturing business in South Otselic, Gladding Braided Products, employs four people who lived in the Cox Block apartments and were displaced by the fire. The company is a significant employer for the small town with more than 60 employees.
According to Radziwon, the company helped three of the displaced employees find permanent housing. The fourth displaced employee found permanent housing outside the company.
As a previous Town of Otselic board member and involved community leader, Manufacturing Manager Charles “BJ” Bishop was concerned for those displaced by the fire. He told Radziwon about the idea to donate the company's Christmas party money to the displaced fire victims.
“He was the first one who heard some of the ideas from employees that may be foregoing the Christmas party in light of the struggles of those displaced. It was kind of hard to think about having a party when people were going through something like that,” said Radziwon.
Gladding Braided Products's employees agreed to give up their Christmas party and donate the funds towards the displaced fire victims the day after the fire on Dec. 15. The giving did not stop there.
Employees began donating their own money, and President D.H. Sparky Christakos said he would match any donation made by the employees to the displaced fire victims. The employees, with the donations of Christakos, raised close to $2,500.
As if that was not enough, Radziwon said employees began anonymously donating the $20 Walmart gift cards and lottery scratch-off tickets the company gives to employees each year, as well as clothing and other items. He said they collected a couple carloads of donations.
“They don't make a million dollars a year and those $20 gift cards come in handy this time of year. A lot of our employees count on those as a nice thing to have for Christmas. More than 70 percent of our employees donated money, their gift card or both,” said Radziwon.
The funds and donations were given to The Sunshine Shop, a thrift store in South Otselic.
“People who were displaced were able to go there for items they needed the day of the fire. They have been terrific in helping them and others displaced by fires in the past. They have a whole system in place for dealing with stuff like this,” said Radziwon.
Radziwon thinks it will be the company's most memorable Christmas, even though they did not have a Christmas party.
“I am really impressed by the extent to which our employees gave. When I saw the gift cards in the donation box, I got emotional and was moved. I knew we had good people, but I got to know them more through this experience,” said Radziwon.
Radziwon said he has worked for Gladding Braided Products for 10 years, but he is not originally from the community. He said it is obvious the community is tight knit and that while the displaced victim's are thankful, they were not surprised by their co-workers' generosity.
“The six-year-old son of our Maintenance Manager Rick Burt was concerned when he heard there was a young girl displaced by the fire. He donated his $50 gift card he got for Christmas to the 10-year-old girl who was displaced. He used the whole gift card to buy her toys and other items,” said Radziwon.
The Vice President said the employees were the ones that came up with and pushed the idea to help the displaced victims. “We help the community, but I don't know if we would have been as driven or as helpful as our folks,” said Radziwon.
"I am particularly proud of our employees, and the community as a whole, for the outpouring of support to all those affected by the fire. South Otselic is a special place. Gladding will celebrate its 200th year in South Otselic in 2016, and it never could have happened without the people. We depend on one another and are always there for one another,” said Christakos.
For more information or to make a donation, call The Sunshine Shop at (315) 653-7728.
A beloved historic building in South Otselic, the Cox Block, was destroyed by a raging fire on Dec. 14 this year. The building housed 10 apartments of which five were rented. The individuals and families renting those apartments lost their homes to the flames.
“Most of the people just got out with the clothes on their backs. As far as we know, the people who lived there lost everything. There wasn't enough time to get anything substantial,” said Gladding Braided Products Vice President, Mike Radziwon.
The 198-year-old rope manufacturing business in South Otselic, Gladding Braided Products, employs four people who lived in the Cox Block apartments and were displaced by the fire. The company is a significant employer for the small town with more than 60 employees.
According to Radziwon, the company helped three of the displaced employees find permanent housing. The fourth displaced employee found permanent housing outside the company.
As a previous Town of Otselic board member and involved community leader, Manufacturing Manager Charles “BJ” Bishop was concerned for those displaced by the fire. He told Radziwon about the idea to donate the company's Christmas party money to the displaced fire victims.
“He was the first one who heard some of the ideas from employees that may be foregoing the Christmas party in light of the struggles of those displaced. It was kind of hard to think about having a party when people were going through something like that,” said Radziwon.
Gladding Braided Products's employees agreed to give up their Christmas party and donate the funds towards the displaced fire victims the day after the fire on Dec. 15. The giving did not stop there.
Employees began donating their own money, and President D.H. Sparky Christakos said he would match any donation made by the employees to the displaced fire victims. The employees, with the donations of Christakos, raised close to $2,500.
As if that was not enough, Radziwon said employees began anonymously donating the $20 Walmart gift cards and lottery scratch-off tickets the company gives to employees each year, as well as clothing and other items. He said they collected a couple carloads of donations.
“They don't make a million dollars a year and those $20 gift cards come in handy this time of year. A lot of our employees count on those as a nice thing to have for Christmas. More than 70 percent of our employees donated money, their gift card or both,” said Radziwon.
The funds and donations were given to The Sunshine Shop, a thrift store in South Otselic.
“People who were displaced were able to go there for items they needed the day of the fire. They have been terrific in helping them and others displaced by fires in the past. They have a whole system in place for dealing with stuff like this,” said Radziwon.
Radziwon thinks it will be the company's most memorable Christmas, even though they did not have a Christmas party.
“I am really impressed by the extent to which our employees gave. When I saw the gift cards in the donation box, I got emotional and was moved. I knew we had good people, but I got to know them more through this experience,” said Radziwon.
Radziwon said he has worked for Gladding Braided Products for 10 years, but he is not originally from the community. He said it is obvious the community is tight knit and that while the displaced victim's are thankful, they were not surprised by their co-workers' generosity.
“The six-year-old son of our Maintenance Manager Rick Burt was concerned when he heard there was a young girl displaced by the fire. He donated his $50 gift card he got for Christmas to the 10-year-old girl who was displaced. He used the whole gift card to buy her toys and other items,” said Radziwon.
The Vice President said the employees were the ones that came up with and pushed the idea to help the displaced victims. “We help the community, but I don't know if we would have been as driven or as helpful as our folks,” said Radziwon.
"I am particularly proud of our employees, and the community as a whole, for the outpouring of support to all those affected by the fire. South Otselic is a special place. Gladding will celebrate its 200th year in South Otselic in 2016, and it never could have happened without the people. We depend on one another and are always there for one another,” said Christakos.
For more information or to make a donation, call The Sunshine Shop at (315) 653-7728.
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