Ace Hardware 2013 Annual Report Download - page 34

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2013 ACE
ALL-STAR
Ellie Fontanetta
Ellie Fontanetta, a 9-year-old with a
huge smile who was born with spina
bifida, received the surprise of a lifetime
when The Ace Foundation visited her school in
Lockport, Ill., and announced in front of her 720
classmates that she had been chosen as the
very first Ace Cares for Kids All-Star.
Ellie was diagnosed with spina bifida before
she was born, and the Fontanettas’ lives changed
forever. However, they will be the first to tell you that
it’s made them stronger, closer, and more grateful
than they ever could have imagined. Much of this
is due to the care and support they received at
their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital,
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of
Chicago. Says Ellie’s mom, Nikki:
“Lurie Children’s gave us more than hope—
they opened our hearts to feeling joy again ...
They taught us how to fight for Ellie, and she has
surpassed expectations and defied most of the
odds given to her. As a family, we don’t let anything
stop us. We have a rule in our house. We don’t
use the contraction can’t—instead we say we
‘can try.’
Ellie makes excellent grades, plays sled hockey,
miracle league baseball, dances ballet and tap,
and is in Girl Scouts. Through generous Ace retailer
and customer donations in partnership with CMNH,
children like Ellie get the care they deserve.”
As the Ace All-Star, Ellie served as the face for
all of Ace’s CMNH fundraising events across the
country, bringing hope and smiles to everyone
she met. “I’m raising money to help other kids,”
Ellie says proudly.
Retailers across the country quickly fell in love
with Ellie and welcomed her into the Ace Family.
The Chicagoland retailers, who were fortunate to
have Ellie and her family in their stores all year,
will be the first to tell you that this girl inspired
them, their teams and their customers to do
more. “Having Ellie in our stores was not only
inspiring, it was motivating,” noted Dan Olson of
Olson’s Ace Hardware in Franklin Park, Ill.
Her amazing energy and
generous spirit motivated
all of us to come together
as a group and set some
lofty fundraising goals—
and thanks to Ellie, we
not only met them, we
exceeded them, raising
more than $144,000
in Chicago this year.
We did it for Ellie.
DAN OLSON
OLSON ACE HARDWARE OF FRANKLIN PARK, ILL.
ACE HARDWARE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
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