Annual event brings teammates together across 10 locations to honor loved ones, support cancer patients, and give back to local communities.
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (October 2026) – On October 7, teammates across Esler Companies came together for Unite in Light, an annual event dedicated to honoring those affected by cancer, remembering loved ones lost, and supporting those still fighting.
Held in partnership with Renewal by Andersen’s nationwide United Against Cancer campaign, the event brought teammates together across 10 locations nationwide.
Teammates wore white in solidarity, participated in a luminaria lighting ceremony, and shared personal stories of how cancer has touched their lives.
As part of this year’s event, Esler Companies donated $50,000 to the American Cancer Society on behalf of its teammates, representing $5,000 from each location. An additional $20,000 was dedicated to cancer care kits, giving teammates the opportunity to provide comfort and encouragement to people facing cancer in their local communities.
With $2,000 allocated to each location, teammates assembled cancer care packages filled with cozy blankets, socks, journals, puzzles, coloring books, snacks, and other essentials. Teams also worked with their local nonprofit partners to include special requests for an extra personal touch.
The care kits supported 11 organizations across the Esler Companies network, including:
- Arizona | Phoenix Cancer Support Network
- Central Texas | Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin
- Colorado | Denver Health Foundation
- Greater Nevada | Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation
- Greater Philadelphia | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- North Texas | Sammons Cancer Center Dallas
- Oklahoma | The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral
- Southern Maine & New Hampshire | The Dempsey Center
- Southern New England | Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation
- Marketing & Communication Centers | Pawsitively 4 Pink & Sherry’s House
For many teammates, Unite in Light is deeply personal. Their stories of loss, survival, and hope are a reminder of how many lives are touched by cancer.
Caren Stearns, a scheduler with Renewal by Andersen of Central Texas, received her own breast cancer diagnosis in August after watching both her grandmother and mother face the disease.
“One thing I am absolutely certain of is that I have an incredible village of family, friends, and coworkers surrounding me,” Stearns shared. “I may have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me.”
Nikki Belkin, a senior event representative with Renewal by Andersen of Greater Nevada, lost her father to cancer earlier this year and has supported other loved ones facing the disease.
“Cancer doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed. It affects everyone who loves them,” Belkin shared. “Please check on your loved ones. Encourage them to get their screenings. Pay attention to your body.”
These experiences are at the heart of Unite in Light, giving teammates an opportunity to honor the people they love, support one another, and remember that no one should face cancer alone.
Unite in Light is part of Esler Companies’ Renewal Cares commitment to supporting causes that matter to its teammates and the communities they call home. The annual event also builds on Renewal by Andersen’s partnership with the American Cancer Society, which has raised more than $6 million for cancer research, advocacy, and patient services since 2018.
About Esler Companies
Esler Companies is the holding company for Renewal by Andersen of Greater Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, North Texas, Central Texas, Greater Philadelphia, Southern New England and Southern Maine & New Hampshire, with communication and marketing engines in Northborough, Massachusetts & Austin, Texas.
About Renewal by Andersen
Renewal by Andersen is the full-service window and door replacement division of Andersen Corporation, a company with more than 120 years of history in the window and door industry. Founded in 1995, Renewal by Andersen set out to redefine the industry by offering homeowners a different—and better—window-replacement experience. Renewal by Andersen serves more than 100 markets across the United States and Canada.
About Renewal Cares
At Esler Companies, leading With LOVE means showing up for the communities its teammates and customers call home. Renewal Cares brings that commitment to life. For every Renewal by Andersen window installed, $6 goes toward charitable initiatives that support communities across the country. Renewal Cares creates meaningful opportunities for teammates to give back through local and national nonprofit partnerships, charitable donations, paid volunteer time, teammate donation matching, and the Door of Opportunity Scholarship. With tens of millions of dollars invested over the years, Esler Companies continues to make a difference by supporting the people, organizations, and causes closest to its teammates’ hearts.
