Ace Hardware, founded in 1924, produced the video and digital series to celebrate its 100th anniversary of being locally owned pillars of more than 5,000 communities around the nation.
The stories are culled from people in all 50 states.
They include touching and inspiring videos of people around the country working together to build better communities, and are found at acehardware.com/heartwarestories.
They’ll also be available on ROKU starting this fall.
Michelle Leopold chronicles her struggles of surviving breast cancer, then losing a son, Trevor, to fentanyl, in a series of tattoos. The “One Tough Mother” tattoo also includes the name of her son, Parker. (Michelle Leopold / Fox News)
The Leopolds’ story is especially relevant on August 31, recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day.
Using Ace as its platform, the Leopold family is spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. They train staff, customers and community members, while distributing free Narcan kits and educational materials on how to help others.
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The Leopolds hope to prevent other parents from having to bury a child because of fentanyl or other deadly drugs.
The “Heartware Stories” also draw attention to a factor Ace Hardware believes differentiates its business from that of its big box-store competitors.
“Ace is made up of local stores with local store owners,” Kim Lefko, chief marketing officer at Ace Hardware, told FOX Business.
Ace Hardware store owners, from left, John and Laurie Luitgaarden, and Michelle and Jeff Leopold, visited New York City this summer to share their “Heartware Stories.” Ace Hardware is celebrating its 100th anniversary and its roles in local communiti (Ace Hardware / Fox News)
“There are 5,000 Ace Hardware stores across the country and I would say all 5,000 stores measure the vibe of their communities and their neighborhoods every day.”
While big-box home improvement stores are touted for their convenience, Lefko cites Ace Hardware’s 5,008 stores nationwide as the ultimate convenience.
“We have more stores than our two biggest competitors combined,” she said.
The community impact is highlighted in the 100 “Heartware Stories.”
