Mount Greenwood vet wins new roof

It wasn’t exactly an old-fashioned barn-raising, but the scene near 106th and Whipple on a recent Saturday morning had an air of neighbor helping neighbor.

That helpful neighbor is All Exterior Contractors, and the neighbor being helped is David Elliott, a winner of the Roofs 4 Heroes initiative.

“Home ownership is part of the American Dream, and that dream is made possible through the bravery of our men and women in uniform,” said All Exterior owner Geno Randazzo, whose workers buzzed like bees atop Elliott’s two-story brick Georgian on Aug. 24. “But that dream can turn into a nightmare for veterans and others in need, when they don’t have the security of a good roof over their heads.”

Arriving first thing in the morning, an All Exterior Contractors crew stripped old shingles off Elliott’s roof, made a few structural repairs to damaged wood underneath, put in a new roof ventilation system and then installed new, top-quality shingles with a 30-year warranty—all at no charge.

The value of the materials and labor is around $6,700, Randazzo said.

Elliott joined the Navy after he graduated from St. Laurence High School in 1988. As a medic, he served with the Marines in Operation Desert Storm. For the last 21 years he has been a City of Chicago employee. He and his wife, Colleen, live in the home with their sons, Ian and Ryan.

He is one of two winners in the contest to honor active-duty military members, honorably discharged veterans and civilian first responders. The other is a man from the Garfield Ridge neighborhood who received his new roof earlier this month.

The Roofs 4 Heroes initiative was launched last spring by Randazzo and All Exterior Contractors, in partnership with Beacon Roofing Supply, Tamko Building Products, the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce, First Rate Realty, Midway Storage, State Farm Insurance agent Mike Riordan and US Bank. Winners were selected by a blue-ribbon panel from among several dozen nominations.

Elliott says getting the new roof at no charge was wonderful.

“I’m the type of guy who never wins anything, so winning this roof was an incredible surprise,” he said, noting that it appears to have changed his luck. Shortly after he was notified that he had won, he won a TV at a block party. “Maybe I’m on a roll,” he added with a chuckle.

To celebrate the Elliotts' good fortune, All Exterior took things up a notch by hosting and paying for a block party-style celebration on top of everything else.

Randazzo had the street blocked off; and for several hours, neighbors and their families were treated to hot dogs (courtesy of Pop's Beef) and refreshments, cotton candy, music, a bouncy house for children and more.

“We believe in giving back to the communities we serve, and I wanted everybody to be in on the celebration,” Randazzo explained. “It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun is shining—why not block off the street and have a party?”

“This guy is awesome,” Colleen Elliott said as she pointed at Randazzo. “Usually, when you win something big, you think, ‘OK, what’s the catch? Are they going to try to sell us something?’ But there has been none of that. This is exactly what Geno says it is: a reward for a hero.”

The Elliotts have owned their home on Whipple for 19 years, relocating to the neighborhood from the Clearing community near Midway Airport.

“We love Mount Greenwood,” Colleen Elliott said. “This is a very family-oriented place where we all look out for each other. We’ve got each other’s backs.”

Best known for its roofing work, All Exterior Contractors offers a range of services relating to home repair and improvement—both inside and out. The company was a Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month in 2018.