Lots of stories from last week, but this was our favorite fun story.
Saturday morning: We had been collecting shoes for two days, and Saturday is the morning of the Gate River Run 15K National Championship race.
I had left to go meet my friends, and Brian was at the tent collecting the shoes from other runners. The race began at 8:30am.
It’s about 8:15 when, all of a sudden, a young lady and her boyfriend run up in a panic. She’s forgotten her running shoes! The Expo is closed, so she can’t buy any, and she wants to know if we have any she can run in.
She and Brian rummage through some shoes and she comes up with a pair she thinks will fit. They run off into the sunrise.
Long story short, she runs like a champion in her temporary shoes, and she comes back later to re-donate them to the St. Francis Soup Kitchen.
I don’t know how she ran 9.3 miles in shoes she’d never worn before, but here’s to the spirit that won’t give up.
Aloha.
Hi All,
Brian and I will be doing our annual community service this Thursday and Friday at the Gate River Run. We collect used running shoes and t-shirts for Jacksonville’s homeless. This will be our 9th year!
It’s been a wonderful project. Each year we collect 400-500 pairs of shoes and at least 100 t-shirts, and we donate them to the St. Francis Soup Kitchenin downtown Jax. They have a HUGE need.
The volunteers at the soup kitchen always tell us, “Shoes are like Gold!”
Here are some pics from last year, and there are more details and pictures on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/Shoes.and.TShirt.Donation
Visit the page and give us a “Like!”
So, even though we’re not out fixing couches, boats and cars on these days, give us a call! We’ll get you fixed up next week!
Hepler Bros. LLC is a Jacksonville family-operated franchise of Fibrenew International, a Canadian-based company that’s been perfecting leather, vinyl and plastic repair for more than 25 years. This is our story.
Brian and Carey looking their Avatar Best
Carey and his brother Brian were born in Nappannee, Indiana. They moved to the Ft. Myers, Florida area with their parents in 1969. Both earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and Brian was the American Legion Boy Scout of the Year in 1977. Carey received both an undergraduate degree and an MBA from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Brian received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University (Go Noles!). Despite this fundamental difference in philosophy, they teamed up in 2010 to form Hepler Bros.
Brian and Carey with Grandma Benner @ 1962
Family pic @ 1964
Hepler Brothers try out the first work truck
Carey was most recently employed as the Director of Innovation at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. He has a Black Belt in Quality Function Deployment (QFD) which is all about making customers happy, and he recently recieve the 2010 Akao Prize for distinguished contributions to the QFD community. He has more friends on Facebook than he realized, and he’s a proud member of Jacksonville’s Southside Business Men’s Club.
Santa Claus wondering if we've been good. Of Course!
As most people know, behind every good man there is a good woman. In this case, it’s Ruth Ann, who became Carey’s bride in 1991. A rare Florida native who was born and raised in Panama City, she is now a partner in the law firm of Sullivan & Hepler but acts as the bookkeeper, organizer, office manager, chief cook and bottle washer of Hepler Bros. in her spare time.
Carey is a member of the Jacksonville chapter of the American Marketing Association and the Southside Business Men’s Club. He and Brian have been collecting and donating gently used running shoes for the homeless in conjunction with the River Run since 2003, an endeavor they call Sole Purpose.
Ruth Ann is a founding member of the San Marco Rotary Club and serves as the Foundation Chair.
Brian and Carey in the Boy Scout outfits with friend of the family Kirk Kirkpatrick. That man could tell a story.
Carey and Brian’s dad, Roney, 85 years young, provides moral support for Hepler Bros. and taxi services for his three beloved granddaughters. He is retired from Robb & Stuckey Furniture in Ft. Myers and is a humble veteran of WWII. He was captured by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge at the age of 19 and was held as a POW.
Jane Hepler, matriarch of the Hepler clan, passed away in January 2008. She and Roney were married for 54 years. She is smiling down on us from Heaven as she delights in our new adventure.
Family at church @1979
Grandpa, Ruth Ann, Patti, Sally, Brian, Carey, Janie and Lila the Cat
