Mike Esmond uses Planters award to pay overdue bills for hundreds in Gulf Breeze pnj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pnj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
RV Travel
December 26, 2020
By Nanci Dixon
In the midst of an abundance of bad news – rising COVID numbers, unemployment, evictions, homelessness and hunger – some good news stories still bubble to the surface.
We find ourselves mostly posting bad, sad or frustrating news in our Sunday newsletter. It’s not our fault, of course, but we want to make sure you come here and smile too. That’s why we’re bringing you this “Good News” column. And sometimes just things to make you smile.
A PRIMATE LIFELINE – BRIDGE OF HOPE
A few weeks ago we posted about wildlife bridges spanning highways to keep wildlife safe. This week, we’re telling you about a “Bridge of hope” for primates. This bridge is made of rope, not asphalt, and spans a gorge in a forest in Hainan Island, China. The Gibbon, one of the most endangered primates, is now using the rope bridge to roam, find food and find a mate. They have been spotted swinging by their arms or walking on to
Veteran Pays Off 114 Outstanding Utility Bills for Struggling Neighbors Ahead of Christmas
For the second holiday season in a row, a Vietnam veteran of Gulf Breeze, Florida, has extended a huge gesture of kindness to his community by paying off $7,600 worth of past due utility bills to ease the burden for local families ahead of Christmas.
Mike Esmond is a 74-year-old great-grandfather who runs Gulf Breeze Pools & Spas. His generosity ignited with one of the incidents from his past, as he himself once had his gas shut off while struggling financially in 1983, along with raising three young daughters. At that time, the loss of power was quite devastating.
Even if we didn t have the hurricane, I felt like the pandemic alone made it more critical for me to do something, Esmond said. Last year, I did something just to help people out. This year, it s more meaningful.
Esmond s second good deed totaled $7,615.40, according to Gulf Breeze Utility Billing Supervisor Joanne Oliver. He paid off about $4,600 worth of bills last year.
Financially, Esmond thrived in 2020. He said he s almost ashamed to admit how successful Gulf Breeze Pools and Spas was this year, as his company directly benefited from Sally and the pandemic. When people sat at home last spring with nothing to do, they bought swimming pools, Esmond said. When we had the hurricane, and so many places were damaged, that gives more work to roofers and contractors. And you know what, it brought in a lot of extra income for me with all the pools that were damaged and underwater. That s why it was more important this year to share with the people in our community.