BONNYVILLE, Alta. – This year’s birthday came with an extra special surprise for Bonnyville resident Lynda Robb.
Unbeknownst to Lynda, she had been nominated for the Feel the Love project, which provides Lennox cooling and heating products and installation.
On Sept. 16, Robb received a call from an unknown number. On the other end of the line was Tracy Ohland Cintado from Precision Heating & Cooling, who notified Robb that she was selected as this year’s recipient for the Feel the Love campaign.
“When I called her to tell her she was the lucky recipient, it ended up being her birthday. I didn't know that, so that was really amazing,” recalled Ohland Cintado.
“It was very shocking, and I started crying, just tears of happiness,” Robb told Lakeland This Week. “Just the fact that it was on my birthday was extra special. It was very emotional.”
Before Precision Heating & Cooling installed her new furnace, they removed Lynda’s 48-year-old furnace that was original to the home.
“It was a Lennox too and it was still running,” Robb said with a laugh. “This is amazing, because I feel like I will never have to buy another furnace ever again, it is truly life changing. And the air conditioning, I probably would have never ever been able to have it.”
If next summer’s temperatures reach highs experienced this year, she says she will be glad to have the AC unit.
When asked why she thinks she was nominated, Robb said it’s hard to pat herself on the back. But, she believes the reason has to do with some of the work she does in the community.
“So, Lynda is being super modest and humble,” said Andrea Yaremie, a family friend of Lynda’s for the last 22 years.
“Lynda is such an integral part of this community, whether it's volunteering with the SPCA, whether it's the work she’s done with people with disabilities in the past... volunteering at the Bonnyville Lodge, she volunteers with Santa’s Elves, the list just goes on and on and on.”
When it comes to Lynda’s work at Bonnyville Centralized High School, Yaremie went on to say, “She actually cares about the students and the teachers and the people that she interacts with. Then on top of all of that she's a wonderful mother, wonderful grandmother and she's an amazing friend.”
Hearing such positive feedback from her peers may have been tough for someone who likes to stay under the radar, but Lynda says the whole experience has made her feel extremely special.
“It's hard to think of yourself that way,” Robb admitted.
Jumping in, Yaremie added, “We're so excited that she was selected. I truly believe that it was absolutely, completely deserved.”
The nominees for the Feel the Love campaign all have one main thing in common, according to the campaign’s website – “They always put others first. But sometimes, these individuals need a little help making sure their own needs are being met.”
Along with the installation of a new furnace and AC, staff from Precision Heating & Cooling worked together to coordinate family, friends and neighbours to help with small tasks in the home and yard.
“It's all about just feeling the love. We've got neighbours, friends, family and we're all here just celebrating Lynda,” said Ohland Cintado.
Paying it forward
Lynda was just one of nearly a dozen nominations put forward for the campaign in Bonnyville this year. However, Ohland Cintado hopes to double the number of nominees put forward by the public next year, even though it will make selecting a recipient twice as hard.
“We want people (to know) that this goes on, and there are people deserving of equipment out there,” she added.
James Hill, a Territory Manager of Lennox, says picking a recipient out of the stack of nominees is the most difficult part when it comes to the Feel the Love project.
“It's people in need, volunteers, seniors, veterans as well. People that go over and above to help out in the community. And a lot of those people in particular, they're typically not looking for anything in return either. They don't ask for help,” said Hill.
Ohland Cintado added, “There's quite a few people out there and nobody knows about them. Let's find out about them and recognize them.”
This is the second year that Precision Heating & Cooling has taken part in Feel the Love.
Since 2009, Lennox dealers in Canada and the US have had the opportunity to participate, come together and improve the lives of deserving people in their communities through the annual campaign.
“We just found it was a really good way to kind of tie ourselves in with the community. Find people who are involved with the community and deserving, and we just wanted to give something back. This project is a great way to do that,” said Brent Dutertre, owner and operator of Precision Heating & Cooling.
“It's something we look forward to really growing with over the next few years,” he said.
Nominations open every year between May and June and close on Aug. 31. By September, recipients are selected, and installation occurs from Oct. 8 and 15.
