Christmas in July winners get new top-of-the-line air conditioning unit from Ellsworth’s Heating & Cooling
Every year for the last seven years, a lucky winner in the North Fort Myers area gets a free, top-of-the-line air conditioning unit and more from Ellsworth’s Heating & Cooling Inc.
This year, the winners of the drawing were Tom and Paula Wilson of Windmill Village.
It is a free, no-strings-attached event. “We like to give back to the community who has given us so much,” said Ellsworth’s president William Barnes. His family started the tradition years ago in the family owned business.
Most winners over the years have said they there “had to be a catch,” including this year’s winners.
“That was my first thought,” said Tom Wilson. “But there wasn’t.”
Paula Wilson entered the drawing at the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Great Community Treasure Hunt, held at the Shell Factory & Nature Park. She was there distributing promotional material for her boss, Dr. David Pfent, a local dentist. “I told her to fill out the entry, it couldn’t hurt,” said husband Tom.
The couple had been saving for a new air conditioning unit, and were thrilled with being this year’s winner.
“It is a new Trane unit, and we did all the duct work as well,” said Barnes. “Over the years we have had many deserving and thankful winners. One was a young mother who had no air conditioning, another was an elderly blind resident.”
Others have expressed it was a windfall, benefitting from the campaign by simply filling out an entry to be entered in the annual drawing.
At the end of August each year, the new unit is installed. “I call the winners personally,” said Barnes. “I really like that. Kerri Mikkelson from my office helped with the event.”
The Wilsons were also happy that the new unit will also help with their utility bill.
“It is an awesome unit, we can already tell the difference,” said Tom Wilson.
Like others that have been recipients over the last few years, the Wilson family has used Ellsworth’s for repairs and maintenance. Tom Wilson said the company was hired to work on his mother’s local home, as well as their own.
“They are very professional, and very easy to deal with,” said Paula Wilson of their past experience with the company.
The random drawing will continue next year, said Barnes. Next July, if you can’t find an entry form around the community, you can stop by their location at 1905 North Tamiami Trl. North Fort Myers or call 995-6005 for more information.