Remembering 9 / 11 –
A Reflection of Patriotism

This-coming Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11th. We all remember where we were that terrible morning when we heard news about tragedy striking our fellow Americans: nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children were killed as they were going about their day in New York City, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and on an airplane in flight near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The 9/11 Memorial will be dedicated this coming Sunday. It is located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan, and occupies approximately half of the 16-acre site. The 9/11 Memorial Museum, which is scheduled to open in September 2012, will also honor all those who risked their lives to save others. In addition to honoring those whose lives were taken from them, the Museum will further recognize the thousands who survived and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath. Part of its mission says this: “… the Museum will attest to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity and affirm an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life.”

You can read much more about the Memorial and Museum by visiting www.911memorial.org …

As a nation, we deeply mourned the loss of life and shared our grief with the families whose loved ones died at the hands of terrorists. Ten years later, many of us are reflecting on that day and are thinking about how we can honor the innocent victims. While we can’t change the past, we can all alter our lives a bit to include volunteering and community service to help each other.

It is our desire — and I believe our duty — to serve United States’ veterans, members of the military and first responders who risk their lives to protect us and our freedom. We are looking for more opportunities to serve the brave men and women who devote so much of their lives to our community and our country. Please visit our Facebook page to share your connection with a local charity by sharing a post, link or video. We hope this circle of sharing continues to inspire those around us to serve as well.

We want to share some of our involvement within our local community. Recently, the team at Apex was involved with updating a home for adults with disabilities. We donated the labor and trim a couple of weeks ago to update three rooms in the group home: two bedrooms and a living room. Our installation crews, trim carpenter, administrative staff, sales associates, and my family and I donated our time to this more-than-worthy cause.

We extend our appreciation to the National Wood Flooring Association for connecting us with Brian at Mullican Flooring who supplied the material for the job. We also want to thank Waste Box, which donated a six-yard dumpster during the project.

We offer our sincerest gratitude to the real heroes: the wonderful parents of these special young adults and the staff at Trinity Services, Inc., whose mission it is to provide quality services and support people with disabilities. Part of their daily mission is to upgrade group homes to make them attractive, safe and comfortable places for challenged adults to live. They do incredible work every day and we were pleased to have partnered with such a valuable organization in our community. It is amazing what can be accomplished when everyone pitches in for a good cause!

To read more about the wonderful work being done at Trinity Services, Inc. and to find out how to become a volunteer, please visit: http://www.trinity-services.org or call 815-485-6197.

I also want to tell you about a great non-profit group called Touch My Heart, which is run by a friend of Apex’s, Rick Montalbano Jr. The mission of Touch My Heart is to enhance the health and wellness of individuals with disabilities, their families, and the community through recreation and leisure activities, socialization, awareness and education. I have seen firsthand how much of a positive impact Touch My Heart has on everyone who gets involved.

If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity, please consider contacting Touch My Heart. To find out more, please visit http://www.touchmyheartusa.org/ or call Rick at 708-417-4464.

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Below are some pictures from our volunteer day at a local group home made possible by Trinity Services, Inc. To see all of the images, please visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/apexwoodfloors. Thank you!

Bedroom Before	Bedroom After
Living Room Before	Living Room After
Master Bedroom Before	Master Bedroom After
Pictured from left to right (back row): John Lessick, Tom Farquhar and Phil Dedic. Front row: Cameron Lessick, Jennifer Le Gros, Cristina Ortega and Sharon Holcomb.

Sincerely,

John Lessick
President
Apex Wood Floors

About Apex Wood Floors

Based in Downers Grove, IL, the award-winning team at Apex Wood Floors has been providing customized hardwood floors to clients in the Midwest and across America since 1982. Apex uses its own highly trained craftsmen to provide unparalleled excellence to flooring projects that include wide plank, handcrafted floors, exotic species, patterns and design work. The company custom fabricates its own handcrafted and distressed plank flooring in several finishes and styles spanning the interior design spectrum.

Apex works with designers, architects and their clients to provide a floor that will satisfy even the most discriminating clients. Every project provides longevity of beauty and character to any setting as they continually mature. In addition to an extensive selection of premium domestic and exotic wood species, Apex offers three destination flooring styles: Renaissance wide plank, Designer patterns and inlays and Select premium and exotic hardwoods.

Apex provides complete design and installation services, including the removal of existing flooring, disposal of waste, and layout and finishing of new wood floors.

Apex Wood Floors | West-suburban Showroom: 1326 Ogden Avenue | Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: 630-963-9322 | www.apexwoodfloors.com | E-mail: info@apexwoodfloors.com

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