Heat has been restored at the Salisbury Legion, after someone stole the outside unit of one of their heat pumps last week.
President Susan Dryden says she got a call from the Bartender at the Legion on Wednesday about the theft, ” I posted it on Facebook, thanking the Grinch who stole it, and it just went viral. By quarter to eight the next morning, Fillmore Heating and Cooling contacted me. There are people out there that still care.”
Owner Rob Fillmore says he was shocked, “I sent them a message on Facebook and told them I would help them out. The next thing I did was spoke to my wholesaler to ask if they would step up and donate a unit. They gladly did.”
Source Atlantic didn’t hesitate, and gladly offered to donate the heat pump. It was installed by Fillmore on Monday morning.
“It’s amazing how social media gets out there. We had other companies reach out to us afterwards as well, to help any way they could. We did contact our Insurance company, before we knew that everything would be donate, but that would have cost us a $1000 deductible,” Dryden says.
Fillmore says the person did around $2000 in damage, and he is happy to be able to help.
“My grandfather served in World War Two, and I live out near Salisbury now. It ticks me off to think someone would do that to Veterans and soldiers. It is low life move to steal from the Legion,” Fillmore says.
He adds he can’t understand why someone would take it, because it is probably only worth around $20 if they were selling it for scrap metal.
“It’s pretty rare to see it, but it is an epidemic down in the United States. People are stealing heat pumps, and air conditioners and refrigeration units. It is a big problem in the States,” Fillmore says.
Dryden says they are very grateful, “The Legion is a non-profit organization and we have to do our own fundraising to keep the building going.”
