Feel the Love
Brought to You by Lennox and Sutton Brothers
Lennox and Sutton Brothers wants to help neighbors and friends come together, give back and improve the lives of deserving people in our community!
Feel The Love nominees all have one thing in common: they always put others first. But sometimes, these individuals need a little help making sure their own needs are being met.
Many of our nominees simply don’t have the means to make their homes more comfortable on their own. That’s where nominations from community members like you come in.
While unsung heroes come from all walks of life, some examples of past nominees we’ve honored include community figures such as teachers, firefighters, and volunteers; families facing hard times; veterans; senior citizens living in older homes; and people impacted by natural disaster. In short, anyone who serves others is a good candidate for a Feel the Love nomination.
If you know someone in your community who deserves recognition, nominating them to receive a new heating or cooling system is a heartfelt way to show your appreciation.
For more help identifying heroes in your hometown, consider partnering with a local nonprofit organization.
2023 NOMINEE
Kernersville, NC, October, 2023 — In partnership with Lennox’s social responsibility program, Feel the Love, Sutton Brothers HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical will install a free HVAC system on October 13th in the home of Deputy Clint Lyons of Burlington. Lyons was nominated by a friend and previous coworker who noted in her recommendation that “Clint Lyons is a truly remarkable person and an asset to his community. He is an individual who gives more than he receives and this (a new HVAC system) would be a small gesture of thanks for all the incredible work he has done and continues to do for his community.”
Sgt. 1st Class Clint Lyons, a drill sergeant with the 1st Battalion, served in the United States Army for 14 years. He did two tours of duty spending 16 months in Iraq and then went to Bagdad. He said that one of the highlights of his military career was serving as a platoon sergeant with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 327th Infantry Regiment, in Kunar Valley during operation Bastogne Overwatch XL. He noted that there is a documentary called “The Hornet’s Nest” which highlights the events that occurred during one of his platoon’s missions.
An Army news article written about these events describes the following. “During this mission, Lyons was told to expect a firefight. His platoon got pinned down for about 8 hours and had several casualties. According to Lyons, “Stand and Fight” was the order we were given, so it was expected. The enemy had 70-80 heavily armed fighters trying to overrun Lyon’s platoon perimeter and take American hostages. Sgt. Lyon, trying to establish radio contact with his headquarters, had to move over 100 meters under intense enemy fire to inform command of the enemy situation. He continued to perform with extreme valor under fire as he coordinated the successful re-establishment of security west of the (hostile landing zone) to a more defensible position.” These valorous actions resulted in Clint Lyons being awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He also received the Purple Heart.
After he recovered from his injuries, Lyon tried to go back to the infantry but was told no, so he chose to end his military career. He joined the police force in Burlington and was on the Swat Team for three years. He then joined the Alamance Sheriff’s Office and has been a detective and on the special response team for 3 ½ years. His step-uncle was the chief of police in Gibsonville which opened his eyes to law enforcement.
Clint Lyon is married to his high school sweetheart who, as he said, “followed him all over the world.” They have two children, a 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. His son is thinking about following in his father’s footsteps and his daughter loves to dance.
Sutton Brothers is honored to be able to help this American Hero by installing a new HVAC system in his home. It is currently being held together with a lot of duct tape, according to Lyons.
2022 NOMINEE
Sutton Brothers Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Lennox were delighted to install a new HVAC system at the home of a long-time high school teacher who has poured herself into the lives of her students! Darlene Owens is an educator who taught culinary science at the Forsyth County Career Center for 21 years before being transferred to Reynolds High School in 2020. Not only does she teach her students culinary skills, but she also involves them in a number of community services projects which allows them to use their newfound skills to help others. Examples include providing lunches for the Shalom Project, baking 1000 pies for a fundraiser at Habitat for Humanity, and The Froggie Café at Bolton Elementary School which provided elementary-aged students with a fun way to learn customer service, math, and cooking. Darlene wants to have her high school students see the importance of community involvement.
Her favorite activity is “giving back to the community.” “I may not have a lot of money but I love giving back to my students and my community.” She helps with her church’s community blood drive by making cookies and cooking for the Thanksgiving dinners. Baking is her passion and she also teaches cake decorating at Guilford Technical Community College. Her specialty is sugar-spun flowers! She does cakes of all kinds “on the side” and may consider this as a second career when she retires.
Darlene has been slowed down a bit by a knee replacement followed by a torn ligament. But she plans to be back as soon as possible! She has a servant's heart and can’t wait to start helping her students and community once again! We were honored to be able to help this hard-working and caring educator enjoy a more comfortable and efficient heating and cooling system!
2021 NOMINEE
Sutton Brothers and Lennox installed a free HVAC system in the home of a US Army veteran as part of the Feel the Love program which recognizes a local hero in the community! This year’s recipient has requested that her identity not be revealed as she is now serving her local community as a law enforcement officer. We honor that request but she has given us permission to tell her story which will certainly highlight why she was chosen as our 2021 local hero!
She is a Gulf War veteran and served 5 years with the 95 Bravo Military Police. She was part of the quick reaction force (QRF) at the Pentagon. She describes this role as “boots on the ground for security of personnel and property.” She and her colleagues were the first line of defense during the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. They helped get Pentagon employees to safety immediately after the attack and then had the grim duty of retrieving deceased “loved ones” from the building.
After her end of service with the Army, she lived in Germany for a while before moving to the Greensboro area. She began her law enforcement career as well as started her family. She is the proud single mom of two teenage sons, a 17-year-old and a 13-year-old. The oldest is pursuing his Eagle Scout Award and is involved in basketball at his school. Her youngest is a “techie” and is on the school swim team.
When she got the news that she was Sutton Brothers’ 2021 Local Hero recipient, she was quite surprised! She kept asking “are you sure it’s for me? Surely there is someone else more deserving!” She says that she is “always a giver.” “I believe in serving. Selfless serving is priceless” is her opinion. Her oldest son has embraced his mother’s servant heart attitude. For his Eagle Scout project, he built a food pantry for homeless veterans at The Service Center in Greensboro.
Her current HVAC unit has not adequately cooled or heated her house for almost a year. She is so appreciative that soon that problem will be eliminated! Sutton Brothers is proud to be able to help this very deserving Army Veteran who continues to serve her community and country in her current law enforcement career!
2020 NOMINEE
We had an incredible time doing a special installation for the McCoy family!
Douglas McCoy is an Army veteran who served for 16 years. He was left paralyzed as a result of spine cancer which he has been fighting for the past 10 years & is currently in remission. Douglas and his wife have been residents of North Carolina for 30 years and live with their twin boys who both are attending college remotely due to COVID-19. We hope this new Lennox HVAC system will make the entire family more comfortable in their home.
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