Forrest Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. (Forrest Anderson), a family-owned business in the Phoenix area since 1961, picked the winner of its first ever “Military Hero AC Giveaway” contest.
The goal of the contest was to honor the men and women in the community who have served by donating and installing a new air conditioning unit for a local veteran or active military member and their family.
Dozens of nominations were submitted, followed by two weeks of public Facebook voting for the top 3 finalists. In the end, Master Sergeant Aaron Harms and his family of Ahwatukee received the most votes and were declared winners.
On Thursday, November 10, representatives from Forrest Anderson, Sigler Wholesale Distributors, Empire Metal Products, and Smiley Crane Services, surprised Aaron’s wife, Christine Harms, at her home with a dozen red, white, and blue balloons as well as a giant cardboard cutout of the new air conditioning unit.
“It’s been an honor for us to offer this donation to a local military family here in Arizona, and we are so excited to be able to help out the Harms family in Ahwatukee with a brand-new air conditioning unit and installation,” said Audrey Monell, president of Forrest Anderson. “We truly loved learning about so many of our local military heroes through the nominations, and this is just a small way for us to say thanks to everyone for their service to our country.”
Aaron Harms of Ahwatukee has served in the U.S Air Force for over 22 years, and has been stationed in various overseas U.S bases including remote tours in Kuwait and Turkey. For the last 5 years of his service, Harms has been separated from his family while stationed in Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. He is looking forward to returning home to Arizona in June of 2017 after his retirement to rejoin his family and learn to be part of the routine again.
It was a close race throughout the Facebook voting contest and the two other finalists, Elvia Gotcher of Sun City and Chris Davis of Buckeye, will not go home empty-handed. Each will receive a one-year “Loyalty Maintenance Plan” valued at $175. This plan includes 2 free inspections per year by certified professionals, as well as 15 percent off all repair costs.
The generous donation is made possible in part by Sigler Wholesale Distributors, which is providing a Carrier 14 Seer Heating and Cooling system, Empire Metal Products, which has graciously donated the sheet metal, and Smiley Crane Service.
