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| Downers Grove, Ill.; Nov. 14, 2008 – New plumbing fixtures, faucets,
piping and related supplies were donated again this fall to the ministry of St. Jude’s church in Louisa, Ky., for
those in need in the Eastern Kentucky Appalachia Mountains by members of the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Authority
of Northern Illinois (PAMCANI) in cooperation with UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 501.
 Assembled
to help load the donated materials are (l-r): Bobby Higgason and Louie Desancic of National Plumbing & Heating Supply
Co., Chicago, and Chris Laflesh, St. Jude’s Mission.
S. J. Peters, executive director of PAMCANI, noted that “more and more PAMCANI contractors
and suppliers are getting involved in our Appalachia program every year.” He explained that the donated materials
are surplus stocks that accumulate because of changed and cancelled orders but that can’t be re-sold as new.
“None of it has been used,” Peters said. “And Local 501 contributes surplus materials no longer
needed for its training programs,” he added. The donation collection site was at Local 501’s facility
in Aurora.
National Plumbing & Heating Supply was among the larger contributors – providing tubs, bathroom sinks,
lavatories and faucets that had become surplus because manufacturers had phased them out of their product lines,
eliminated certain colors or otherwise discontinued items that none-the-less are new and still quite serviceable,
according to Bob Higgason of National Plumbing & Heating Supply. “We are happy to make these useful
products available to people who can use them rather that scrapping them. Any time we can help out, we like
to,” he added.
Another major contribution was an assortment of some 300 plumbing fixtures and fittings comprising 20 skids from
Mid Continent Marketing Services, Addison. Vince England, president of Mid Continent, said that “we are
pleased with this opportunity that PAMCANI presents us to provide people with returned goods that they view as
luxuries they otherwise would not have.”
The mission of St. Jude’s has been serving Appalachia for 58 years, led since its founding by Fr. Ralph
Beiting.
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