Family-owned business has dream, goal of funding charities

Meet a family-owned business with a dream and a goal to take family entertainment and use it to fund two charities that affect millions. Parham Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, LLC has been in business for 23 years and are continuing to grow. They are currently located in Dyer and are in the process of relocating to Trenton to better serve customers in Gibson County.

Since their business has continued to grow over the past years, they decided they wanted to fi nd a way to give back. In order to do so, they created what is called the Parham Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, LLC Foundation, Inc . that will give back to the community and non-profit organizations in the area.

Reba and Randy Parham, along with their son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Hillary, have done extensive research on what it takes to make Parham Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, LLC Foundation a reality. This foundation will benefit the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with the help of annually held events.

The Parhams were recently invited to Athens, Alabama, to visit with Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. Sheriff Blakely was elected sheriff in 1982 and has been re-elected for the last seven terms. The hospitality they received was very impressive. For 30 years Sheriff Blakely and his department have hosted on the third weekend in May the Limestone County Sheriff’s Rodeo. With this annual event, they have funded over 35 patrol cars, training facilities, response teams, etc. The Limestone Sheriff’s Rodeo has entrusted their event with Lone Star Rodeo Company for over 25 years. Lone Star Rodeo Company is also family-owned and operated with over 60 years of tradition and professionalism attached to the name. They travel up and down the east coast providing quality family entertainment to help all kinds of organizations and foundations raise money. People often ask why they do what they do. Of course, with any business it takes money to run it, but the passion of continuing to provide fun family entertainment while maintaining the western ways and heritage is what this great nation was based on. Rodeo is the only true American sport.

Parham Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, LLC Foundation, Inc. will be hosting the 1st Annual Charity Rodeo May 31 and June 1 at Milan City Park. All proceeds from this rodeo will be split between the two charities of the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Carl Perkins Center’s services put families back together and literally save lives of children. By helping the whole family to make positive changes, they are often able to keep families together, or reunite families that have been s e p a r a t e d , as well as to improve their quality of life. They are also giving children back their childhood and letting them know that someone cares. They are giving these children the gift of hope for a brighter future—a future without pain.

JDRF is the world’s largest charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research with more than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly supporting research and research-related education. JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, a disease which strikes suddenly, making those affected insulin dependent for life. Their goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until they can achieve a world without diabetes. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent and eventually cure T1D.

In many towns, rodeo week and weekend are one of the busiest times of the year for local retailers. The boost in local retail sales during rodeo week stems partly from the greater number of people coming to town. The contestants coming to compete in this two day rodeo will come from five states and more. Most of them bring their families and fans. These people buy food, many stay in local hotels or motels, and almost all purchase gas and personal items. Also, much of the cost of producing the rodeo is spent locally, on advertising, labor, printing, etc.