96-year-old Veteran Receives Surprise Free Roof

By Cass Jacoby.  

Keith Gauvin Roofing finds the perfect candidate for their first “on the house” roof giveaway.  

Keith Gauvin, of Keith Gauvin Roofing, had been thinking for some time now that he wanted to do a free roof giveaway when he met Geroge Evans. The 96-year-old veteran served as a medic in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and was referred to Keith by a former client.  

That’s when it struck Keith: this is the perfect opportunity to do his first free roof giveaway. “I’d been wanting to do this for a while,” Keith told The Hartford Courant. Keith went to George’s home in Vernon, Conneticut and offered him a low estimate “that he couldn’t refuse” to reroof his home. George agreed to the job.  

Keith contacted GAF to donate the supplies, and Keith provided the labor from his company for free. They completed a typical roof replacement, re-roofing the 27-year-old roof and adding new rain gutters. 

As the job was finishing up, Keith told George the roof was “on the house” in every sense of the phrase. “I told him, ‘We’re not going to accept a penny for this roof. Everyone appreciates your service and this is a small way of saying thank you,’” says Keith. 

George’s first reaction was shock and disbelief, he later told Keith, “Five weeks ago, you didn’t know me, and today you’re giving me a free roof.” 

Keith reports the roof giveaway was “a win-win. It made me feel good, it made him feel good. It’s just great for everyone.” Keith says he is planning another free roof giveaway for later in the year, “George was the first one,” he said. “I’m trying to do another one. It’s our way of saying we appreciate everyone’s business and we’re just trying to do the right thing, as well.”  

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About Cass

Cass works as a reporter/writer for RoofersCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofs, she is writing about movies for her master's degree and dancing with her plants.   

Photo credit: The Hartford Courant