Vermont Business Magazine The owner of Flooring America in Williston announced this week that he recently donated more than $12,000 in flooring materials and labor for a new mental health facility in the Champlain Valley. Owner David Evarts said this donation—the largest his business has made—was important to him because he believes in the mission of the Vermont Center for Responder Wellness.
“Sonny Provetto, who runs the Vermont Center for Responder Wellness, is doing amazing work for ourlocal communities.He is helping our men and women first responders and military veterans who help us and never ask anything in return. Any first responder who is physically hurt has a clear path to getting helped. There are fewer options, however, for those that may need mental health assistance,” Evarts says.
Williston-based Flooring America is one of the leading flooring retailers in the Champlain Valley and northern Vermont. Evarts has owned and operated the small business since 1985.
Evarts says that Provetto’s dedication to mental health services for those that serve is an issue that hits close to home.
“My dad has dealt with PTSD after serving two years in Vietnam and received much needed counseling through the VA. Without that counseling, the last 50 years would have been a lot harder on him,” he says.
The Vermont Center for Responder Wellness, located in Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, is largely funded by Sonny Provetto himself. Provetto said that Evarts’s substantial donation made it possible to grow the center from its outset.
“What Dave has done speaks volumes to his commitment to what first responders are doing. Dave’s very generous gift has helped me allocate my resources to more programming at the center,” Provetto says.
Evarts and his staff installed carpet tiles in all offices and common areas. Themanufacturer, Engineered Flooring of Dalton, Ga., provided the flooring to Evarts at a discount. They also installedvinyl plank flooring in the classroom and therapeutic yoga studio space.
The Vermont Center for Responder Wellness project is just the latest generous donation of this
type that Evarts has made. In the past, he has helped the Go Red For Women campaign and the local American Heart Association chapter. In over 30 years, Evarts estimates he’s donated more than $75,000 in time and materials to local organizations.
David Evarts began his family-owned and operated business, then known as the Carpetbagger, in 1985 in Williston. In 1998, the Carpetbagger joined the Flooring America Co-Op, an association of 600 independent stores located across the United States. Flooring America offers in-home service, with experience in the commercial and builder areas. Evarts and his staff, which includes many family members, are experts trained in flooring sales and design and will help anyone find the perfect flooring.
Source:Flooring America 11.15.2018