Owen O’Rourke / Item Photo Cross family From left, Lynn City Councilor at large Buzzy Barton, Coastal Windows and Exteriors owner Stephanie Vanderbilt, Deandra, Clyde and Karen Cross in front of their home.
LYNN — The Cross family motto is “keep your head up” and Clyde Cross held his head high and smiled Friday as contractors nailed a new roof onto his home — for free.
“This is incredible — I’m amazed,” said the Seymour Avenue resident.
The hammering and pounding Cross and his family gladly endured turns to an afternoon celebration when friends, neighbors and Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy gather for a barbecue to congratulate Cross and thank Coastal Windows and Exteriors owner Stephanie Vanderbilt and her workers for donating the $15,000 roof, including labor.
“To be able to help, especially in Lynn, is something I embrace — the people are so vibrant,” Vanderbilt said.
Her former job teaching deaf children inspired Vanderbilt to make helping out other people part of her business philosophy. Beverly-based Coastal launched its “No Roof Left Behind” contest in May with the goal of giving a needy North Shore household a new roof with free materials and labor included.
Vanderbilt said Clyde and Karen Cross received 1,300 online votes out of 3,000 cast during the summer to become one of four finalists for a Coastal roof. When Karen Cross initially mentioned the contest to him, Clyde Cross reacted skeptically; but he started taking it seriously once his wife told him they were finalists.
Cross went online and urged friends and friends of friends to participate in the voting.
“The response was overwhelming,” Cross said.
Vanderbilt surprised Cross on his doorstep on Oct. 6 and declared him the “No Roof Left Behind” winner.
For Clyde and Karen Cross, the new roof is a gigantic piece of good news for a couple who stretched the incomes they earn at Aggregate Industries in Saugus to help support two children and seven grandchildren who share their home opposite Kiley Playground.
“Everybody does what they can,” Clyde Cross said.
Family expenses kept Cross from doing more than patching his 22-year-old roof. His spot repairs were not enough to keep water from seeping in over the last eight years. In the last several months, Cross has used pots and plastic bags to catch leaking water even as the dampness has damaged ceilings inside his home.
Vanderbilt said Coastal workers completely stripped the Cross house roof and installed venting and other roof-related improvements to help qualify it as a “Master-Elite lifetime roof.” The work will be done this morning.
Sixteen other companies, including Lynn firms, also donated services and goods to Cross and his family, including Robson Cleaning, Prime Meats and Provisions, Marblehead Chimney, Wayne Alarm, Starlight Creativities, Cranney Companies, Mayer Tree Service, Soulo Productionz, Light and Leisure, Edible Arrangements, Bay State Environmental Services, Dunkin’ Donuts, Park Printing, Wicked Art Bar, BLC Painting and EZ Disposal, said Vanderbilt.
Cross endured teasing on Friday from friend Howard Jackson Jr. about the barbecue and the elected officials Vanderbilt said plan to attend the event, including Kennedy, City Council President Daniel Cahill and Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr.
“I feel semi important,” Cross said.
“No,” said Jackson, “you have celebrity status.”
Posted: Saturday, October 18, 2014 3:00 am
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at tjourgensen@itemlive.com
