Hollister Construction Services Completes Pro Bono Project Enabling Child With Cerebral Palsy To Achieve Mobility At Home
Using Donated Funds and Work-in-Kind Services, Construction Manager Completes Renovation that Adds Elevator to Westfield, N.J. House of 11-Year-Old Girl Who Uses Wheelchair
Online, April 3, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Hollister Construction Services (Hollister), a leading full-service construction manager specializing in corporate, educational, healthcare, industrial, retail, and residential construction, recently completed pro bono renovations to the Westfield, N.J., house of an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. The work, which included the installation of an elevator, will give Sara Cagnassola, who uses a wheelchair, the ability to move through her three-level home independently for the first time. The elevator installation was made possible by monetary and work-in-kind donations raised by Hollister and its partners.
The project originated in 2009, when Hollister CEO Chris Johnson learned from his friend, Thomas Cagnassola, that his daughter Sara not only had no wheelchair but that the Westfield school district would not mainstream the child without one.
Mr. Cagnassola launched a foundation named Strides for Sara, with the initial aim of purchasing a wheelchair for his daughter. This goal was met by a Hollister employee who donated a wheelchair that had been purchased by his family but never used. The company then committed to installing an elevator in the Cagnassola home, which would allow Sara to move from a play/therapy room in the basement up to the living room and kitchen, and finally up to her bedroom, with easy access to the bathroom.
"It took four years of grit, determination and, most of all, love for Sara to see this project through, from getting permits and approvals, to raising donations and holding fund-raising events, to completing the construction work," said Mr. Johnson. "All that effort came together when we saw the big smile on Sara's face as she took her first ride on her elevator. It was a wonderful moment that reminded us of why we are committed as a company to building stronger communities by doing what we can to help those in need."
When Sara was asked what she liked best about her new elevator, the little girl replied, "It will help my mommy because now she won't have to carry me everywhere."
For more information about Hollister Construction Services, please contact Jami Schlicher of JCPR at 973-850-7309 or jschlicher@jcprinc.com.
About Hollister Construction Services
Hollister Construction Services is a full-service commercial real estate construction manager specializing in corporate, educational, healthcare, industrial, retail, and residential construction, with offices in Parsippany, NJ and New York, NY. Distinguished by the exceptional involvement of its principals in projects of all sizes, Hollister is committed to building sound relationships and structures in the New Jersey and New York markets.
Hollister works through its own independent philanthropic organization, The Hollister Foundation, to further its community outreach activities. The Foundation's mission is to raise and distribute funds for organizations that foster children's advancement through education and health initiatives.
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