NW Valley Times

Joe Findysz is a father, a husband and owner of Ace Hardware in Tucson, Arizona. For many children and families, each year around Christmas, Joe ushers in much-needed rays of hope and happiness to those staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Tucson with his brightly lit, Christmas-decorated fire truck.

"It’s always great to give back," Joe said in a video special produced by Ace on the company's YouTube channel. "We’ve been very fortunate to run a successful business, so we help as often as we can."

According to Ace Hardware, inspiration for his yearly venture started while Joe and his family were visiting Disneyland and attended the Main Street Electrical Parade. Joe, whose love for cars turned from a childhood toy collection into a real vintage collection as an adult, went home to revamp his 1936 Ford fire truck by adding about eight strands of lights, a sleigh and reindeer.

"I had a 1936 Ford," he said. "It's kind of a smaller truck, so we put probably eight strands of lights on it, and a sleigh and some reindeer on the roof. That's kind of how it all started. And I thought, 'Hey, bigger is better,' so, now we have a giant truck with about 15,000 lights on it; the whole sleigh with the eight reindeer, Rudolph, snowmen."

During the holidays, Joe and his family began driving the fire truck all around Tucson. 

"We've done a ton of different events," he said. "The biggest one that we do currently is the Ronald McDonald House, where we bring the fire truck to their dinner and everything. It actually just brings a lot of joy to people. It's probably the most photographed vehicle in the city of Tucson."

The annual visit involves members of Joe's family, as well.

"We started the relationship about five years ago with Ronald McDonald House when Nancy approached us and asked us if we'd be willing to do something," Erin Findysz, Joe's daughter, explained.

The Ronald McDonald House is a charity that started in 1974 and offers families with sick and hospitalized children free housing and food, to allow for the families to stay close while their child is being treated. RMHC provides more than 1.5 million overnight stays annually and helps families save approximately $504 million in expenses for lodging and meals, according to the website.

Last year, Joe and his family surprised the children with a visit from Santa Claus and gifts during the charity's Christmas Dinner. Additionally, the Findysz donated more than $17,300 that was collected during their Ace store's "Round Up" event.

"We're just mostly excited to see the looks on these kids' faces because a lot of them have no idea they're getting a gift, they have no idea that Santa's coming, that the fire truck's coming," Erin said before the dinner. "It's a great, great cause. I mean, it helps out a lot of families. Everybody has some type of connection to the Ronald McDonald house and we love what they stand for in their values."

Joe and his family also participated in this year's Ronald McDonald House Walk for Kids on Sunday, Dec. 4, where Santa offered photos for the children.

Joe's love for cars is what led to he and his family becoming a beacon of happiness and holiday cheer to the lives of many sick children and their families in need.

"These kids just really need joy in their life right now, so, if we can bring them a little bit, it's worth it," Joe said. "We're excited to be involved."

Ace Hardware ranked No. 1 in all five categories of staff and service, in-store experience, online experience, merchandise and price in J.D. Power U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction StudySM, according to a press release in May. The study is based on responses of more than 2,100 customers who have purchased items in the home improvement products or services from Ace in the past 12 months. The company ranked highest, even over big-box stores, in the satisfaction index, with a score of 869 on a 1,000-point scale.

Ace has received the highest score in the JD Power Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Studies from 2007 every year until 2017, and again in 2019 until 2022.