My grandfather was a "fixer" at the Hanes plant in Winston Salem, NC, not in management, nor hobnobbing with the Hanes family. He was a very humble, hardworking and kind man.
He knew he would need some financial assistance in order to get his daughter the medical care and surgery she needed and the thought of having to ask, a task he would find quite difficult, was near stifling.
He approached the owner, Mr. Hanes, to ask for what was needed, with much consternation and pain, willing to repay, in whatever fashion.
My mother and her siblings are not quite sure of the details, but they do know their sister received the care needed. No one knows whether the loan was paid personally over time or was deducted from his wages. Unless such was forgiven, whether in whole or part, I am certain my grandfather repaid the monies which were gladly given in an extreme time of need.
My aunt later went on to begin a lifelong career in hairstyling (occasionally booking arrangements for a local travel agency) and later pursuing something she had always enjoyed, singing. Obviously I never knew her before the accident, but she was always an attractive lady to me, possessing a wonderful affection for laughter mixed with an acute sense of accountability and discipline.
Along with her siblings, having all been raised in a log cabin, the family later moved into a larger, yet modest home, on the same property. And finally, a larger home was built, enabling them all to spend time with their parents in their later years, again on the same property. There's a theme here - family, home and consistency, while nothing lacked in the personality department amongst the children.
All went on to accomplish their own goals and raise families just as my grandfather had raised his.
We do not prefer to use Hanes products due to an act of kindness performed so many decades ago. They have become a huge and complex corporation, but as long as they continue to provide quality products and the little innovations which make such a difference in wearing clothing and clothing wear, along with a sense of community and involvement, we will prefer to lead with their products.
Somehow, family.
Go to The Motto Shop to see many of the Hanes products we use for our Customized and Personalized Tennis Apparel and Accessories.
