LONDON, Ohio — The Green family, owners of Tri-Green Interstate Equipment, Inc., have been supporters of Loving Care Hospice and Home Health since it began 1993. The late Bill and Tootie Green also used its services as patients.

Their daughters, Connie Ballah and Judy Green, who currently own Tri-Green, have also been involved since the beginning. All four Greens are all on the Loving Care’s “Wall of Fame,” which recognizes people who have made a significant contribution, financial or as a volunteer, to Loving Care over time.

Ballah’s daughter, Robbie Huddleston, also works there as  administrative assistant.

Loving Care serves Madison, Union and the surrounding counties in central Ohio. It started because they wanted to fill a gap, Ballah said.

“We had hospice in the county, but people were falling through the cracks because they didn’t have insurance coverage,” she explained. “We started Loving Care Hospice with our commitment that we would never turn a patient away – we would take care of them.”

Those patients lacking such benefits are taken care of with money gathered at fundraisers.

After their father’s death, but before their mother’s, Connie and Judy started having a fundraiser to benefit Loving Care at the annual Tri-Green Fourth of July event, said Tiffany Lee, Loving Care human resource and marketing coordinator.

Between 2007 and now they have raised $40,000 to donate to Loving Care. “They both have supported our various fundraisers since the beginning,” Lee said. “Each year we hold an auction and dinner. At the auction, Connie provides the million-dollar pie.”

“Back in 1993 my dad, known far and wide, Bill Green, and Roger Wilson, the auctioneer, were great friends,” Ballah explained. “They started this thing.

“There is nothing special about the pie; I make a chocolate cream pie, usually. Dad would buy the pie first and say, ‘we’ll resell it,’ so they’d resell it and resell it and resell it. Usually the pie brings around $5,000. Then they sell it and somebody takes it home.”

“So far, the pie has raised about a quarter-million dollars. It’s becoming an actual million-dollar pie,” Lee added.

Connie served on the board from 1993-2001. Her input as a businesswoman and knowledge of the community was invaluable, said Wendy Starr, executive director at the hospice.

“Loving Care started in 1993 with one paid employee; now, we have over 65 employees on the payroll,” Ballah said. “Loving Care has been really special to us; Mom and Dad were living at the time we started this.

“We were committed to taking care of the people that were being denied because of lack of coverage. We were a Christian-based hospice and we would take care of them no matter what. It was a leap of faith.”

In a 1993 article about the health center, Ballah was quoted in the Madison Press as saying, “I think a person would feel a lot better physically and mentally if they would turn off the television and spend more time getting into the true meanings of life.

“Let’s show our families and neighbors that there is a lot more to life than riots and fighting. Let’s show them love. Who knows, it may be contagious.”

“We would like to thank them, over and over,” Lee said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without their help.”