Granite City Electric Supply Co., Quincy, Mass., stepped up to the plate in a big way this summer to support an unusual local charity. The electrical distributor raised $16,000 to help “BeLikeBrit: Britney Gengel's Poorest of the Poor Fund” build an orphanage in Haiti.
“BeLikeBrit” was created by Len and Cherylann Gengel in memory of their daughter Britney. Britney, 19, was volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti, alongside college classmates and professors, when the earthquake of January 2010 struck, claiming the lives of thousands, Britney's included. The Gengels, longtime residents of Rutland, Mass., established the charity in hopes of keeping their daughter's dream of building an orphanage in Haiti alive.
Thanks to the generosity of “countless patrons, partners and friends,” Granite City was able to raise $16,000 to help further the ongoing orphanage construction. The company presented a check for the proceeds to Len and Cherylann Gengel at Fenway Park on July 22, during a Boston Red Sox game where Len threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Granite City Electric Supply has 24 locations in New England and is the “Official Distributor of Electrical Supplies” to the Boston Red Sox.