COVID-19: Guardian thanks 1,700 NJ essential workers with a BBQ

Posted in Blog

Glenn Laga

Think globally, act locally. That’s exactly what Glenn Laga, President of Guardian Data Destruction, did. Brainstorming with his long-time friend Steve Rich, the two problem-solvers quickly organized local businesses and volunteers to create a safe, community-focused BBQ that fed over 1,700 COVID-19 essential workers.

On Saturday, April 25, the “Tankque to the Unsung Heroes” event was held in Laga’s hometown of Park Ridge, NJ and featured Rich’s enormous ‘Tankque’ portable BBQ machine. Fired completely by donated wood, the Tankque and an incredible team of over 100 community volunteers smoked, fired, grilled and gave away 450 pizzas and over 1000 pounds of meat in a single afternoon. And, just about everything, from the volunteer PPE to the pizza supplies, was donated by local-area businesses.

Glenn couldn’t be more pleased.  “As an essential service provider, it’s imperative that I focus on keeping Guardian actively responsive to our clients while keeping my employees safe. Living in Northern New Jersey, it felt cathartic and energizing to actively thank the pandemic first responders and essential workers that are working very hard to ensure that my family and the Guardian family stay healthy. It’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen over the next few months as a result of the coronavirus but I encourage anyone to jump right in and do what they can for their family, neighbor, coworkers and the broader community. We’re in this together.”

Guardian Data Destruction’s shred trucks and logistics continue to roll nationwide for onsite data destruction services. But, for the home office employees, volunteering at the BBQ was the first time they had seen each other in person in quite a long time. There was a lot to be thankful for!

Read the event press release here and check out the local news coverage!

Visit the Guardian Data Destruction COVID-19 resource center here