Nurse Wins a New Roof After Placing First in Essay Contest

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

The oncology nurse was delighted to get her roof replaced after her brother-in-law entered the contest for her. 

JoAnna Fabiano, a nurse from Howell, New Jersey, was pleasantly surprised after winning an essay contest she didn’t even know she had entered. Not only that, but the grand prize for the contest was a complete roof replacement. Unbeknownst to her, it was actually her brother-in-law that entered the contest on her behalf. 

JoAnna works in the Oncology unit at Monmouth Medical Center and she also worked in the COVID-19 unit during the peak of the pandemic. When her brother-in-law heard about the Protecting the Protectors essay contest, he entered her in, believing her to be the perfect candidate for a new roof. 

“I don't know if I ever would have entered myself in that kind of contest,” JoAnna told News 12 Bronx. “I know co-workers who would have totally entered, but I was so grateful and excited that my brother-in-law entered me in this contest." 

The essay contest was held by GAF who partnered with This Old House to award a new roof to an essential worker. The contest allowed for both essential workers and people who know an essential worker to write an essay on what the worker has done to help during the pandemic. GAF told Patch News that JoAnna won because of her "tireless efforts as a frontline worker to protect us all during the ongoing pandemic.” 

The prize came at just the right time for JoAnna, as her roof was already needing a replacement after living in her house for only a year. She told Patch News, “I was in total disbelief. I was super excited because I knew we needed a roof, but didn't realize how soon we needed one until we got a hole in our roof.” 

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About GAF

Founded in 1886, GAF is the leading roofing manufacturer in North America. As a member of the Standard Industries family of companies, GAF is part of the largest roofing and waterproofing business in the world. The company’s products include a comprehensive portfolio of roofing and waterproofing solutions for residential and commercial properties as well as for civil engineering applications. The full GAF portfolio of solutions is supported by an extensive national network of factory-certified contractors. GAF continues to be the leader in quality and offers comprehensive warranty protection on its products and systems. The company’s success is driven by a commitment to empowering its people to deliver advanced quality and purposeful innovation. 

About Evelyn 

Evelyn works as a writer for RoofersCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofing, she’s either at the gym lifting weights or curled up on the couch watching a movie. 

Photo credit: Patch News