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On December 17, 2015, our Office Manager of over 26 years, Jane Harting, was diagnosed witha fast-growing cancerous tumor. Jane passed away March 16, 2016 after a courageous and difficult battle. Jane was like family - a close friend to owner/CEO Lynne Cover, a second mother to Diana Porter (CIO/Marketing) and Rebecca Yoder (President/Dispatcher/HR), and a third grandmother to Rebecca's children: Kayla, Livvy and Dylan. Jane was loved by everyone she met. You wouldn't find a nicer person. She was so much fun to have in the office too. We spent a lot of time laughing together, which was sometimes the best way to get through a difficult day in the office. Jane is missed every day by all who loved her, and not a day goes by where we don't talk about her. We often ask each other "What Would Jane Do/Say" about this or that. Her passing left a void that will never be filled.
Jane at our office Halloween party, 2015
Jane riding copilot with her son Matthew who is a CDL Mechanic in our shop
Jane was one of those special people you rarely meet. She was kind, and had a wonderful sense of humor. There was a lot of laughter in the office, and it always seemed to come when we needed it the most because of a stressful day.
She loved bird-watching and always kept a pair of binoculars on her desk or in her desk drawer. It would be nothing to be in the middle of work and Lynne and Jane jump up to look at a bird more closely. She especially loved her hummingbirds and she and Lynne would always discuss when they saw the first one of the season. That is why, if you look at our logo for the Jane Harting Cancer Benefit, you will see two hummingbirds. To some, a red cardinal signals that someone has come back to visit you. To us, it is when we see a hummingbird.
So many things remind us of Jane. When she passed, we split her job up between Lynne, Rebecca and Diana. We now understand some of the heavy sighs we used to hear as she processed paperwork! We still grow sad when we see something with her handwriting on it. For a long time, we left her desk and files as they were when she was here. We knew she wasn't coming back, yet there was comfort in the familiarity of her space.
For each office birthday, we always had a "surprise" party. There would be a lunch, a cake or cupcakes, and small gifts. It was so much fun trying to surprise whomever was having a birthday. We all knew it was coming, most of the time, but it was fun to try to trick them anyway. Holidays were the same way. We always celebrated with a Christmas party in the office and exchanged gifts, always trying to get something each person would really love. But the party we will always remember most fondly was our last Halloween party with her. She had such a good time going to Goodwill to find something for a costume. She came in dressed like a gypsy dancer, complete with the jingling belt and the long gloves. We had a blast and are so glad we have these memories of her.
Jane will always live on in the office and we think of her daily. We are so happy to keep her spirit alive by doing what she did best - helping others.
In 2016 we decided to hold a cancer benefit to help Jane with her bills. Sadly, she passed away before the benefit (June 18, 2016) so the money went to her husband and two children. Her son, Matthew, is a diesel mechanic in our shop. We also donated to another local family in need due to cancer, and to Help the Fight (Helpthefight.org), a local organization that helps local families touched by cancer. We raised over $15,000 from donations, registrations, selling donated food, and raffling off donated items. After the benefit, we were often asked if we were going to make it an annual event. After much thought, we felt that if we have the ability to help other patients and families affected by cancer that it was our responsibility to do so in Jane's name. Our hope is that everyone who receives funds from our benefit will know, even in some small part, how truly good Jane was and is touched by her love.
Due to Covid, we didn't hold shows from 2020-2022. Our show returned on June 10, 2023, and was the best one yet! With your help, we have donated over $75,000 total (since 2016) to Help the Fight through our benefit and Elite Wear sales.
We appreciate each and every one of you who has participated, attended, and/or donated time, money or products to our show. We couldn't do this without all of you!!
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Registration is $25 per unit (Truck + Trailer = 2 units) and space is limited to first come, first serve. Please mail your check to: Elite Service, Inc. Attn: Rebecca Yoder/Benefit 905 Stone Hill Road Denver, PA 17517
