It all began late last year, during the holiday season, when Wallside Windows kicked off its Gift of Warmth giveaway with The Detroit Pistons. The program would outfit a family in need with new replacement windows for their home.
Flint, Michigan resident, Trisha Hill, was nominated by a close friend to receive the Gift of Warmth. “I didn’t think too much about it,” said Trisha. “I don’t have good luck. I never win anything!”
The nomination form read as follows: “As if living in Flint, in the midst of the water crisis and the most extreme poverty in the city has seen in decades wasn’t enough, Trisha Hill is living in a home with her four children without sufficient windows. Trisha is a single mother of 4 children, doing the best that she can… This amazing opportunity that is being presented by Wallside Windows would take a huge burden off of Trish that would allow her to focus on the most important things in her life, her children.”
Trisha and her family were selected as the winning entry in late in 2018 and subsequently honored on-court during the January 5th Detroit Pistons game.
“It was the best Christmas present I ever received,” Trisha said.
But that was only the beginning.
Wallside Windows - in the midst of celebrating 75 years as a family-owned, Michigan-made company - has been working with the family to measure, construct and replace windows at Trisha’s home.
The installation was set for Tuesday, March 5, 2019. The Gift of Warmth recipient and her family didn’t know all that Wallside Windows and the Detroit Pistons had planned.
As a special surprise from the basketball team, Pistons legend and 2004 NBA Champion Lindsey Hunter visited the home during the window installation. In addition to new windows, Trisha’s family received a Detroit Pistons and Wallside Windows branded basketball backboard.
This branded backboard was among the gifts the Hill family received from Wallside Windows and the Detroit Pistons.
“I knew they were coming to do the windows,” Trisha said. “I didn’t know (Lindsey Hunter) was coming and I didn’t know there would be news channels! I was completely in shock! The basketball hoop – my kids will just love that!”
Wallside Windows’ Adam Blanck and NBA Legend Lindsey Hunter surprised a family in Flint with new windows and much more on March 5 as part of the Gift of Warmth. | Photo courtesy of The Detroit Pistons Facebook page
In addition, Trisha said she was surprised by all of the gifts – including autographed Pistons merchandise and a framed photo of her family’s trip to the Detroit Pistons game. She posted photos on her Facebook page.
“It was definitely an amazing experience,” she said. “I can’t thank Wallside Windows and the Pistons enough for all they did. Wallside has great people working for them. Everyone was very respectful. They were all really nice.”
When an installer joked with Wallside’s Chief of Staff Adam Blanck suggesting he order pizza for everyone, Blanck came through on that too and treated the group to lunch.
The new windows will mean a lot to the Hill family. Trisha said she will no longer need to keep her heat at 86 degrees to keep the house warm. And she’s in the process of painting and updating the childrens’ bedrooms – all now safely outfitted with new vinyl replacement windows through The Gift of Warmth.
Ted Van Zelst, senior vice president for corporate partnership sales with The Detroit Pistons said he was proud to partner with Wallside Windows for the Gift of Warmth this year.
“Community and social responsibility are important tenets for both our companies and collaborating with Wallside Windows on initiatives like this help improve the lives of those in our region,” he said.
Wallside Windows is the designated “Official Window Company” of the Detroit Pistons. Our company also sponsors “Rebound Row” at each Detroit Pistons home game, where fans receive a complimentary Wallside Windows branded “R” shirt to count along with each Andre Drummond rebound.
To learn more about our commitment to the community or receive an estimate for window replacement, visit WallsideWindows.com/estimate or call 1-800-521-7800 to schedule your free estimate.
