Holley Heating and Air wins S.C. Business, Aging Award

The owners and staff of Holley Heating and Air believe in giving back to the community, and their efforts were rewarded Monday by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

Bauer visited the business at its office on Union Street to present owner Lee Boylston and staffer Ryan Robinson with the South Carolina Business and Aging Award in recognition of their individual efforts and those of the business as a whole to make Aiken a better place.

"This is our way of saying thank you," Bauer said. "More and more we need to reach out and help the community. If we had more businesses like Holley Heating and Air, the world would be a better place."

The owners and staff of Holley Heating and Air assist Aiken's senior community through their volunteer efforts. Two days a week for nearly 10 years, Boylston and one of his employees have delivered meals to homebound seniors through the Aiken Area Council on Aging's Meals on Wheels program.

"It just shows the caliber of citizens in this community. They are avid volunteers," Council on Aging Executive Director Scott Murphy said of Boylston and his stepson Robinson.

Last year, Holley Heating and Air gave $6,000 to 12 organizations throughout Aiken County in honor of its centennial celebration. The money was invested in organizations that support education, animal welfare, the arts and medical research.

"They are wonderful organizations that give back to the community, and we are grateful for what the community has given to us," Boylston said.

Boylston and staff also volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store by picking up donations of building and remodeling supplies. Boylston will also begin serving on the Habitat for Humanity board this year.

Each year Bauer and the Office on Aging present Aging Awards to individuals, businesses and organizations that go above and beyond in an effort to better the lives of South Carolina's senior population. The Aiken Area Council on Aging nominated Holley Heating and Air for the 2009 Business and Aging Award.

The Business and Aging Award recognizes a South Carolina business for exemplary programs or products that meet the needs of older people and their families, expand public awareness of the private sector's involvement with older persons and/or create performance models for other companies to emulate.