We are happy to announce the fundraising goal of $100,000 for renovations to the church has been met and are thankful for support from those with old ties and those with newer ties to the church and cemetery.
George Gialamas and his family have more recent ties to the church and cemetery. Forty years ago, in their living room, George and his late wife Candy founded The Gialamas Company. The company is active in brokerage, leasing, and building maintenance, but the signature accomplishment of The Gialamas Company is the Old Sauk Trails Park development, which occupies 460 acres near First Lutheran Church.
In 1976 it was a risky move to develop the land that later became the Old Sauk Trails Park. “At that time, Madison ended at Gammon Rd.”, he said. He had to convince many people that his vision to expand west of the Beltline, (at that time a two-lane road), was worth pursuing. These days, Old Sauk Trails Park continues to grow, adding jobs to the local economy and millions of dollars to the local tax base. “Ten thousand people work out there. The increased tax base helps everyone”, Mr. Gialamas said. “I go out there to help communities. I don’t go out to make a quick buck. I think the people in this area know that. I’ve been here for 40 years.”, he added.
Mr. Gialamas understands the sense of nostalgia some people feel for how Madison and the Middleton area was in the past. “I understand that sense of nostalgia. I feel that way myself,” he admits. “But some of the old days were not better”, he said, mentioning advances in road safety and medical advances that are giving people with cancer hope for a longer life.
Mr. Gialamas said one of the most fulfilling aspects of running his company is the opportunity to help others in the community. “We’ve given a lot of free office space to start-up companies and non-profits. I enjoy that the most. If there is a need and we think we can help, we do,” he said. “I have half a dozen non-profits in the park that are now job-producing members of the community.” In fact, the First Lutheran Church board of trustees were one of the organizations benefiting from this policy when Mr. Gialamas offered us free meeting space during the cold winter months. We appreciated the warmth and the bathroom!
Candy and George Gialamas were a team, working together to grow their business, raise four children, and share their kindness and generosity with those in need. “She was very supportive and helped me with everything I needed.” Mr. Gialamas said. Sadly, Candy passed away in 2013. Because they had spent almost 40 years in the proximity of the historic First Lutheran Church and Cemetery, Candy was buried in the church cemetery and the family purchased enough burial sites to create a family plot.
George and Candy Gialamas are well-known in the Madison philanthropic community and have earned numerous awards for their accomplishments.
In 2009, The Gialamas Company earned the Wisconsin Family Business of the Year award. In 1990 and 1993, George was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year. In recognition of the millennium, George was named to “The Madison All-Century List: a Salute to the Top 50 People Who Shaped Madison”, received the Keys to the City of Madison and most recently was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from In Business Magazine. Nationally, he was presented with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor award.
George is a current board member of the UW Carbone Cancer Center Advisory Board and UW Lung Cancer Foundation.
Candy was well-known in the Madison area for her community involvement and was an energetic fundraiser for many causes, supporting children, health, education, and music. Candy helped establish Madison’s Ronald McDonald House, was a co-founder of the Madison Country Day School (established using free office space from The Gialamas Company), was the founder of the Concert on the Green to benefit the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Concert in the Park, and involved in many other causes including the United Way and more.
The Gialamas Company has now helped us with the church renovations through a donation of over $25,000. Mr. Gialamas is a strong believer in the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats. He said “I could never be against any of my competitors. Each of our successes helps the other one. It’s like a snowball. I want everyone to prosper.”
Thank you Mr. Gialamas; we could not have said it better. Immigrants to west Middleton initiated a great change in the landscape when they arrived in the “wild country” in the 1850’s. They created a community where the success of one helps those that follow. Time moves on and things change but old values and traditions continue. The Gialamas family has followed generation after generation of families who have worked as a team, faced risks, celebrated the good times and endured the bad, and helped their neighbors improve the communities where they live and work.
We have seen first-hand and been a recipient of the snowball effect of kindness and generosity. The trustees are humbled and grateful to the response to our call for help. We send our sincere thanks to every single person that helped us reach an unbelievable goal of $100,000. You have each made a difference to benefit future generations. Because of you, old history will be preserved and new history will be made at “the big white church on the hill.”