America’s Preferred Home Warranty owner Randy Caltrider shows his appreciation of his employees each year with an annual Family Fest, this year inviting them and their family members to enjoy a day at Cedar Point.
Category: Giving Back
Relay for Life 2019
We had an amazing year fundraising for Relay for Life, and when it came time to show our support in numbers, we did that too! Relay for Life 2019 is in the books, and we can’t wait to see what we can do for 2020! #ChallengeAccepted #Relay2020!
Final Team APHW Total
Counting our corporate sponsorship, our final total as of Friday, August 2, 2019, came to a whopping $52,037.48 raised for Relay For Life of Jackson County, Michigan! As a company with less than 250 employees total, this number means the world to us. Times are changing and Relay is changing with it, and we’re looking forward to stepping up to the new challenges that await. See you next year Jackson!! #TeamAPHW #RelayForLife #ACS #ChallengeAccepted!!
APHW In-House Relay for Life Fundraising Total
Team APHW set a $20,000 fundraising goal this year for the 20th anniversary of America’s Preferred Home Warranty. We EXCEEDED that goal and raised a whopping $22,037.48 for Relay for Life! We are ready to BEAT cancer with every dollar raised! America’s Preferred Home Warranty has also dedicated a corporate sponsorship. Stay tuned to find out what our true total is at the main event tonight at the Cascades! #ACS #RelayForLife #GOTEAM #APHW
We Did It! APHW Achieves 2019 Fundraising Goal
Team APHW officially met and surpassed their Relay for Life fundraising goal of $20,000 Wednesday! With more than a month to go before the main event, we’re excited to see what new heights we can achieve!
Relay for Life Team APHW members pictured left to right: VP of Operations Mike, Nicholle (Secretary), Cara (Captain), Hannah, Donna (Treasurer), Patty (Co-Captain), and VP of Accounting Terri.
Join our fight and visit the #APHW tent at the #RelayForLife of Jackson County event Friday, August 2nd and Saturday, August 3rd at Cascades Falls Park in Jackson, Michigan. You can also help the cause by making a donation here: https://lnkd.in/eHBQTkx. To donate to APHW’s team total, click on the Donate button and search for America’s Preferred Home Warranty. #AmericanCancerSociety #HisStrengthGuidesOurSteps #Fundraising
Relay for Life Team APHW 2019 Update
APHW has been involved with RelayForLife for years, and this year is no different. Check out how our goals have changed, what we’ve been doing, and where we’re hoping to end up in the fight against cancer. Join our fight and visit us at the APHW tent at the Relay for Life of Jackson County event Friday, August 2nd at Cascades Falls Park in Jackson, Michigan! You can also help our cause by making a donation here: https://lnkd.in/eHBQTkx To donate to APHW’s team total, click on the Donate button and search for America’s Preferred Home Warranty. AmericanCancerSociety HisStrengthGuidesOurSteps Fundraising
APHW Attends JA Fundraiser Dinner
America’s Preferred Home Warranty attended the annual Junior Achievement (JA) of the Michigan Edge fundraising dinner and auction Tuesday evening at the Commonwealth Commerce Center in Jackson, Michigan, as one of three Entrepreneur and Scholar #Sponsors recognized at the event. The birthday theme of the evening celebrated JA’s 100th anniversary of empowering young people to own their own economic success with volunteer-run K – 12 programs fostering work-readiness, financial literacy skills, and experiential learning. Visit their website https://bit.ly/2Hy03zW to learn how you can help with this amazing program!
APHW Employees Volunteer for Special Olympics
The smell of freshly mown grass. The sun on your face. The ball. The competition. The cheering fans. These are things most kids enjoy easily. While special needs children may have to work harder to enjoy it, they want to compete just as badly—and win.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said Donna, the America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) employee who organized the company’s volunteers for the Special Olympics of Michigan 2018 State Fall Games. “It’s to show the world that yes, they may have a handicap or disability, but it doesn’t stop them from wanting to achieve what everyone else achieves in the world. They have wants and desires. They have goals, and being part of the Special Olympics helps them achieve some of those goals.”
The games were held September 28-30 in Ann Arbor, Canton, Chelsea, and Ypsilanti, Michigan. At first, Donna accepted the task because she felt APHW, which has donated to the cause in the past, should be represented. “We support this, so we should be out there as a team, showing our support,” she said. After attending the games, however, it became more than just being present.
“Going there and helping out and seeing the kids just made me feel really blessed,” she said. “I enjoyed seeing the kids go out and do things that people thought they couldn’t, watching them prove the stereotypes wrong.”
Donna’s efforts resulted in an additional nine volunteers attending the events, something the organizers were very appreciative of. “The new president of the organization, Tim Hileman, said that without the volunteers, the coaches and the athletes, the Special Olympics wouldn’t be there,” Donna said. “He escorted the person carrying the torch during the opening ceremonies. I felt blessed to be a part of it.”
Dave, who volunteered in the Flag Football games, was impressed at the joyful spirit of all the participants. “It was really fun seeing how the kids were into it,” he said. “It caused me to pause and reflect on what we take for granted.”
“It was so much fun!” said Arricca, who volunteered in the Skills Golf area. “Everyone who participated was in such a good mood, and just laughing and enjoying themselves. To be part of something that can bring them as much joy as they bring to the rest of the world is a real blessing.”
It’s Just the Right Thing to Do
Randy Caltrider is a man who cares about his employees. The president and owner of America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) is known for meeting and greeting every new staff member personally. What he’s lesser known for (outside of the company at least) are the lengths he goes to make sure this family—yes, family—is taken care of.
“Why God picked me I have no idea. All I know is I care about my people, and treat them like I want to be treated,” Randy said. “Family Fest is a way for us to show our employees and family members how much we care about them.”
APHW’s annual Family Fest involves the employees voting on a place to go, and Randy covering the cost of the visit for them and their immediate family members, along with customized shirts to commemorate the event.
This tradition has been in place for quite a while. “I remember the first one we had,” Randy said. “We had like five people, hamburgers and hotdogs in a park in Michigan.” APHW now has over 130 employees across the nation, most of whom work at the corporate headquarters in Jackson, Michigan—and Family Fest is as strong as ever.
According to APHW Marketing Manager Jeff Fett who organizes this event every year, APHW currently has 278 employees and family members attending this year’s trip to Mackinac Island, “…which is our largest Family Fest yet,” he said. The previous year had 256.
“The number one most important thing is our employees, and their ability to make our company great,” Randy said. “And they’ve done that. Everybody’s got a place and a responsibility, and they all do it very well and with a great attitude. Who would we be to not give back? So, this is a really big deal to me.”
Business minded individuals might question if this is all worth the cost. According to Randy, the evidence is in the people. “This isn’t about what it costs. All you’ve got to do is be there during lunch to watch the families, the joy and happiness,” Randy said. “They’re laughing and having fun.”
In the end, Randy just wants to be able to give back to his family. “I love people and I especially love my employees,” Randy said. “I’ve got this philosophy—I don’t own all of it anyhow. The employees are the ones that put us on the map, who do the hard tasks to get us ahead as a corporation in this world. They put their heart and soul into what they do, and they make us one of the greatest companies in America today.”
“Family Fest is about the ability to give back to them,” Randy said. “I want them to know we care.”
And they do.
Fund-Raising the Bar
It’s not uncommon for a company to raise money for a charity. Slightly less common is a company completely demolishing their previous year’s contribution. But a company that does both several years in a row? Now that’s downright rare—and America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) has done it again.
The APHW family has a special place in its heart for cancer charities, particularly the Relay for Life. “The previous owner [of APHW] passed away from cancer,” said Heidi, captain of the APHW Relay for Life fundraising team, adding that the current president and owner of APHW, Randy Caltrider, has lost multiple family members to it as well. “One way or another, we are all connected with someone who has struggled with or survived cancer.”
The American Cancer Society charity is held annually in their hometown of Jackson, Michigan, and APHW has already blown past 2017’s total by more than $6,000—and they’re still going. “I’m really proud of the support that all the employees give to Relay,” Heidi said. “They continuously give, and show up, and are supportive. It’s very heartwarming.”
While APHW is still growing as a company (which certainly helps), the fundraising team’s incredible efforts are the real driving force behind everything raised. “We have fun with it,” Heidi said, listing off some of the fundraising events they’ve put together. “Spirit Day for the Michigan vs. Michigan State game, Halloween costume contests, food events like our Chili Cookoff and Cupcake Wars, monthly raffles—and we try to switch it up to make sure everyone has an opportunity to participate.” In the month of June alone they raised $812.23 by running Change Wars, an event where the winning team got a brownie party, and all anyone had to do was drop off their spare change (literally). Praise God for coin-counting machines!
All kidding aside, the team captain puts all the credit back on the staff and their willingness to give. “We wouldn’t be at our total without each and every employee that participates or donates,” Heidi said, “and I couldn’t be prouder of my coworkers.”
APHW’s fundraising efforts will continue until the final deadline of 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 4th. After the totals are tallied and the crowds have gone home, it will start all over again—with an even higher goal.