Page 12 - Albert's Diamond Jewelers

GRATEFUL HEARTS, OPEN MINDS
Over the years, Fred has enjoyed giving back to the community that’s been so supportive of him. Leading by example, he’s made it a point to help those less fortunate, a practice that goes back to his early ownership days. One of his fondest memories from the old store was gathering his staff every New Year’s Eve and asking them to bring home-cooked dishes. “If they were Polish, they’d have to bring polish sausage and sauerkraut, and if they were Italian, they’d bring some pasta or whatever,” Fred says. But the food wasn’t just for the staff. In fact, the whole town would show up, according to Fred. Whether they were regular customers, merchants, or simply needing a meal, the door was open, and Fred and his staff would share the food and drinks with everyone. “It was such a happy time in the store, and the people who had nothing would come in and take plates and plates of food and booze,” Fred says.
When his children were growing up, Fred made it a point to teach his children the importance of having a grateful heart and open minds. Josh reflects on how his father took them to the rehabilitation homes when they were younger where they connected with people who didn’t have family or regular visitors. It was important for Fred to show his children that not everyone enjoyed the same lifestyle or privileges. “When I went to work with him on a Saturday, we would visit retirement communities,” Josh says. “This is seven, eight o’clock in the morning, and we’d go visit these retirement communities and try to cheer people up and make them happy.”
Albert’s also gives back to the surrounding police departments and firefighters in the area. Every year, they gift the brave men and women who serve their communities with the “Hometown Hero Award.” Heroes are selected by their superiors and then Josh and Fred present them with a special certificate and a Citizen watch as a thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Celebrating education is also another way Fred has made Albert’s stand out. While he was unable to finish college, Fred has always
appreciated the value that education can bring to a community. So, every year, Albert’s recognizes the students in the area that have excelled and improved over the course of the school year. Albert’s gives out anywhere between 60 to 100 watches to students every year. “So that’s a hell of a day,” Fred says. “The kids and their families come in and their so proud of their kids. I always give them my little talk and I say, ‘Our country’s going to be in good shape. You can be president and you can take care of our country.’”
In addition to these gifts, Albert’s celebrates Fred and Donna’s anniversary every year in a unique way by hosting weddings at the store. Fred and Donna were married on Valentine’s Day in 1968, just eight years after Fred took over the small business. Now, every year, Albert’s opens its doors for couples that want to get married and celebrate with them on their anniversary. “On their thirtieth wedding anniversary, my parents renewed their vows in the store, and ever since then, we’ve been marrying couples every year,” Josh says. “Couples that want to share their date can come get married for free.” Albert’s proudly hosts 20 to 25 weddings every Valentine’s Day, and each couple gets flowers, a cake, music, a video, and photo. Last year marked 50 years of marriage for Fred and Donna, which they, again, celebrated by renewing their vows in the store.
However, if you asked Fred what he is most proud of when it comes to his generosity, he’d dive headfirst into telling you how dedicated Albert’s has been in fundraising for the National MS Society Indiana Chapter. “For nearly 20 years, we’ve been raising money for Multiple Sclerosis. Last year was a milestone for us in two ways,” Josh explains. “One: we surpassed the cumulative two-million-dollar mark that we’ve been able to donate to Multiple Sclerosis. So, that in and of itself was a major accomplishment. Secondly: last year was our best year ever in fundraising; we raised $309 thousand.” Last year’s fundraising total made Albert’s the top fundraiser in the country for MS, and we know we couldn’t haven’t done it without our loyal customers, families and supporters in the community!
For nearly 40 years, Donna has been battling the deteriorative disease.
12]ALBERT’S DIAMOND JEWELERS MAGAZINE