Randy's Jewelry is a leader among O'Fallon
Businesses
when it comes to charity and community service.
"We believe that all businesses owe the communities
in which they operate a debt of gratitude."
Being involved can make a difference!!
In September 1991 10 small businesses closed their doors after
Main Street was closed without warning.
These were the original signs on Main St.
The replacement signs helped businesses!
The original signs that told people of the closed Main St. were as
for away as 3 miles from
Main St. they literally closed down the City's downtown area and crippled
business.
The O'Fallon Business Association set up an Ad Hoc Road Committee
with members Randy
Hudson, Sister Jean Williams and Terry Laney to facilitate a solution to the
signage and work
toward finishing the project and reopening Main St.
As you can see new signage was a result.
The new signage even told people what businesses were open
The committee also facilitated a meeting with State officials and
City officials at a
public hearing which helped to get the contractor
back on the job. After this meeting more
work was done in two weeks than had been done in the previous three months.
Then Santa Came To Town
Randy Hudson along with Jim Blechle of O'Fallon
Plaza
and Randy Matlock of Carpet Creations,
started in 1991 the Downtown holiday
tradition of "Free Pictures with Santa",
now sponsored by the
O'Fallon Business Association.
(Left to Right) Randy, Jim I mean Santa and the V100 hostess.
Our first
Santa was a real live wire on the radio granting all the kids wishes.
We have Randy I mean Santa with Randy's Daughters (Left to Right) Stacey and
Dawn.
Here's a sample of Santa's little ones that visit his sleigh on the corner of
Main and Church St.
in O'Fallon. Just because so many have asked Santa keeps the reindeer down by
the river.
Are those Diamonds sparkling in her eyes. Boy does Santa like those smiles!
Boy does Santa know who is naughty and who is nice. Ya better be good!
In 1993 the O'Fallon Business Association and the Chamber
joined
together in assisting the displaced flood victims along the Hwy 79 corridor
Here are a few photos of the devastation from the great flood of 2003
taken by Randy
just prior to the no fly zone over the flooded areas.
(Left to Right) Jim Blechle OBA, Tom Barret Chamber, Mike Rankin City of
O'Fallon and
Randy taking a break after loading a truck (donated by Bill's Service Center)
with supplies for delivery to food pantries and shelters along highway 79.
Randy helped deliver the food and saw first hand the flood refugees in these
shelters and he
could only wonder how hard it would be to loose everything you own.
He said it was also great to see the national guard at work.
In April 1995 The O'Fallon Business Association formed a
committee
to respond to the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Above is the front and inside of a huge sympathy card sent to
Oklahoma City from O'Fallon's
residents. Randy was proud to chair this committee. We collected over twenty two
hundred
signatures and messages. To read these messages would make you cry. Also over
$2000.00
was sent for the survivors of this terrible bombing.
(Left to Right) Randy, Mayor Renaud, Jeannette Koechner, Chief of Police Mike
Kernan,
Alderman Rose Mack, Fire Chief Dave House, Alderman Julie Owens,
Alderman Carl Young, School Board Jane Voss, Aldermen Bill Chandler
and Ken Tunnell, also three K-Mart employees.
A proclamation was given by Renaud and attached to the card.
A special thanks to Bill Reichman
at Proformance Signs and Graphics for donating
this wonderful sympathy card!
The O'Fallon Business Association was busy in 1995!
Along came hurricane Andrew.
Randy chaired the OBA,s hurricane relief committee. Above we have
donations being
delivered and the people would write messages to the victims on our boxes.
(Left to Right) Randy, Jim Blechle, Henry Dussold, Shiela Blechle and the
Salvation Army.
Randy wants everyone to know that he rode shotgun in the semi that took the
supplies,
and found out how difficult it is to be a truck driver. Randy is glad to be a
jeweler.
A huge thank you to DTS trucking and Tom Komandina for donating the tractor
trailer which hauled almost 23,000 pounds of food, baby need supplies
and cleaning
supplies to the victims of hurricane Andrew!
Randy was winner of the O'Fallon
Business Association
Person of the Year Award in 1997.
(From Left to Right) Carry Voss, Doc (Larry) Huffman, Terry Laney,
Mike Williams,
Bill Huber, Mick Ostrander, Mary Huber, Gary Williams, Randy Hudson and Jim
Blechle.
Bill and Mary Huber won the business of the year award.
Randy and Terry shared the person of the year award
Randy's Jewelry is the proud winner of the Gault Foundation's award
for most charitable business in St Charles County in 1999.
(Left to Right) Randy, daughter Krystall and wife Ruth.
We really thought this was a special award to receive. But we do understand that
there
are many generous businesses that are deserving of this award in St. Charles
County.
In fact humbled was how we felt at Randy's Jewelry.
MAIN STREET VENTURES AND
EMINENT DOMAIN TRY TO VISIT O'FALLON
The Old Town Preservation Committee was put in the parade line after the
fire trucks.
If you have been to the parade you would know that the fire trucks end the
parade.
Main Street Ventures was a greedy attempt at stealing our homes and
businesses.
The citizen's of this community said NO to the concept of taking private
property for
private gain and we thank you all with all our heart for your help in saving
Randy's Jewelry.
As President of the Old Town
Preservation Committee in 2003,
Randy received an O'Fallon Business Association
award
for the OTPC's community service in preventing the Main Street Ventures
Project.
Randy wants to make it very clear,
it is his excellent staff that has allowed him to be active in the community.
Without their dedication and commitment Randy would not have had the time.
Randy's Jewelry voted
Best Jewelry
Store in Saint Charles county
by the readers of the Journal Newspapers in
1998, 2002, 2003, 2004
and 2006 Thank You again!!
Runner up in two of the other years.