Man Makes Mahwah Stop On 500-Mile Bike Trek

When Roof-4-Roof founder Chuck Anania decided to take on a 500-mile bike trek on behalf of his organization, he hadn’t ridden a bicycle in 20 years.

“The saying is true, I didn’t forget how to ride a bike,” he said. “But my body did forget how it would feel afterward.”

Anania, a veteran roofer from North Arlington who owns and operates Certified Roofing in Montclair, is in the middle of his 500-mile journey through NJ, NY and Connecticut. He began July 24 in Trenton and will end up in Times Square on August 7. He rode through Mahwah Wednesday, passing through , and down Route 202.

The ride, Anania said, is to promote Roof-4-Roof, an arm of his company that provides free emergency roofing repairs and replacements for local and overseas customers who cannot afford to pay for them.

“I got the idea from Tom’s shoes,” Anania said. “I figured, if he can donate a pair of shoes for everyone he sells, I should be able to do the same for roofs.” So, in 2010, he formed the organization, which donates one roof to a household in need for every paid roofing job it completes.

Paying customers are not asked to donate anything or pay extra, Anania and his employees donate the time and money to install the charity roofs.

Over the past two years, Roof-4-Roof has installed about 100 free roofs, worth about $100,000, Anania said. Many of the roofs have been installed overseas, since the roofer’s 2010 trip to Columbia inspired him to start the organization.

“I was moved by the level of poverty – homes falling down, people living in completely dilapidated conditions. I wanted to do something to help, and writing a check wasn’t fulfilling enough.”

A few months ago, Anania expanded Roof-4-Roof into a domestic organization, and since then it has installed 20 free roofs on homes in New Jersey.

“Our job now is to spread the word. People who could benefit from this service, don’t know we exist. So, that’s why I got on the bike. I want to raise the awareness of what we do, so people who need us can call.”

More information about Roof-4-Roof is available by calling 201-500-ROOF or visiting the Roof-4-Roof website.

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