Keller Williams RED-y To Help

Annette Zanko's husband, John, died last November.

And between raising her 12-year-old son Colton, working full time and trying to maintain her house and 9 acres of property, her responsibilities can become overwhelming.

That's why Thom Michel -- a family friend who works for the Keller Williams Realty office in Mentor -- suggested he and his coworkers help Zanko as part of their annual RED Day.

On Thursday, he and 17 other Keller Williams employees weeded, edged and mulched her flower beds, as well as stain and paint some buildings on her land.

"This is an enormous help for me," Zanko said. "I think it's so nice that Keller Williams does this for people."

RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is an annual event in which Keller Williams' offices from all around the continent help their local communities.

In the past, the Mentor office has voluteered at and the . However, this year they focused their efforts on a pair of Lake County families who needed help.

"Our focus for this year was giving back to those who gave to us. With that, we immediately put focus on our military," Keller Williams spokesman Jonathan Kish said.

"We asked around the office if any of our agents knew of anyone who served or was currently serving our country needing a little extra assistance. We had such great feedback that we were unable to narrow it down to just one family, so we chose two."

Zanko's father was a veteran. In addition to helping her, they also painted the home of a Vietnam veteran in Perry Township that had fallen into disrepair.

Additionally, Keller Williams got a little help with their giving back. , , and all donated materials that were used during Thursday's projects.

Zanko said the help she received Thursday was a huge relief to her.

"It's a blessing -- not just what they do for me but for everyone," she said.