Inspiring Others to Give
One local business man is inspiring others to give.
When Bob Fetzer, president of Building Specialists, Inc., heard about our efforts to raise funds during the pandemic, he was struck by our vision during a time of crisis.
He received a call from Annette Lewis, our president and CEO, asking if Building Specialists would continue its financial support of TAP even though we had to cancel our annual in-person fundraiser. Annette shared with Bob our plans to raise $150,000 this year through our Bringing Hope Home campaign. He decided not only to contribute, but to inspire others to give.
“We’ve been very fortunate that construction was considered essential, [and] despite the pandemic construction was going very well. We asked some of our major teammates, who work with us daily, if they would come together to support [TAP]. Every single subcontractor we approached contributed to the campaign and allowed us to raise over $6,000 for this cause,” says Bob.
Inspiring Others to Give
When he told them about TAP, many of the subcontractors had not previously realized the breadth of TAP’s operations. They were all eager to join in and provide their support. “We leveraged folks in the community who had not given to TAP before and opened their eyes to the benefits of having such an incredible nonprofit organization in our community.”
A Family Tradition
Bob is a longtime supporter of TAP, having served on our board and still serving on one of our many committees. Giving back to the community is a family tradition for Bob, who hails from Elizabethton, TN. His parents lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and his family’s trajectory was forever changed by the opportunities created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt through the New Deal and particularly the Tennessee Valley Authority, a New Deal initiative. His parents went on to become civic leaders in Elizabethton, and to this day his mother, who is 102, still asks Bob about the contributions he is making to his community.
“Our parents embedded in my siblings and me to give back to the community,” says Bob. “Every day we can make another individual stronger in Roanoke, makes Roanoke stronger for the future… Part of my goal is to inspire others to give and get involved with TAP and their mission and the great things TAP is doing for our community and for our future. It is an organization that gives people hope. It also gives them a springboard for a better life.”
We are grateful to the following companies that Bob Fetzer rallied to support Bringing Hope Home. If you would like to join them in supporting TAP, please visit https://tapintohope.org/donate/.
Bud Weaver Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
Building Specialists, Inc.
Carpet Village
Creative Masonry, Inc.
Gary Russell Construction, LLC
Glavas Decorative Concrete
John T. Morgan Roofing & Sheet Metal Company, Inc.
Keenan Electric Company, Inc.
Layman’s Contracting, Inc.
Premier Painting of Virginia
Nichols Welding Inc.
Responsive Technology Partners