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Helping out USD 497 is a top priority for this local business owner, whose children have all attended its schools.
USD 497: Darin Lutz
Civic duty aside, Darin Lutz has three very personal reasons for offering his services as a volunteer for activities and events related to Unified School District 497. He’s had two sons matriculate through district schools and a third son who’s in his freshman year at Lawrence Free State (LFS) High School.
Giving back to this community has seemed a natural fit not only for Lutz but for his immediate family and, as owner of Alpha Roofing, his work family.
What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. 
–Nelson Mandela
“Once we established our business, I realized the importance of giving back,” says Lutz, who celebrated 20 years of Alpha Roofing in October. “Utilizing the knowledge I’ve gained understanding the needs of athletic departments and schools … I just felt it was the thing to do, not just for schools but for the community as a whole.”
All during the boys’ childhood, sports were a big presence in the Lutz household, not only for the boys, who all played for school teams up through junior high and high school, but also for Lutz, who coached youth baseball for 15 years or so while he and wife, Cindy, raised their family.
It only seemed natural for him, and as an extension, Alpha Roofing, to lend time and resources to Free State and the school district, particularly its athletic programs.
“I’ve always felt like it’s extremely important to give back,” says Lutz, whose volunteerism includes but is not limited to fundraising that includes selling T-shirts and blankets, helping carry equipment to a playing field before games and buying tables at fundraising events such as silent auctions. “We’re so blessed with the success we’ve had. Giving back to the community that’s given so much to us is just the right thing to do.”
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As mentioned, Lutz’s benevolence with the school district is a family affair. His wife, Cindy, is president of the LFS Gridiron Club and is every bit as involved in fundraising events for Free State’s football team. The Lutzes have made it evident they’re ready to help out—not just with Free State and the football team—wherever and whenever they’re needed.
“I try to be available when I can,” he says. “We all have a deep sense of pride in our community, and I feel very lucky we can provide this service for people in the community every day.
“There’s a lot of self-fulfillment,” Lutz continues. “Sometimes, people just need a little help. Being able to do so … it just makes me feel good. It’s part of who I am.”
The volunteerism extends to Alpha Roofing’s 19 in-house employees, as well as many of the 50 to 60 subcontractors the company works with regularly. He says he remembers a football game not long ago where there was a leak in the roof of the press box, and a rainstorm was imminent. Lutz and his crew were on the scene almost immediately and fixed the roof before rain arrived.
“It’s easy for us to go out together and help,” Lutz explains. “With the school district, it’s a given. It’s my directive that they’re taken care of, but my guys will also volunteer on their own for their various schools where their kids go. It’s our culture.”
That’s why when his youngest son, Brandon, graduates from the district in 3½ years, he doesn’t see his altruism slowing.
“We always aspire to do more,” Lutz says. “With the work we do and are so busy all the time, we always strive to do more.”
He says that drive comes in the form of collecting donations or making offerings of their own by way of purchasing tables at fundraisers or T-shirts for cheerleaders, which Alpha Roofing did recently.
“I think donating to causes where kids are involved … they are future leaders of our community, if not future leaders of our nation,” Lutz says. “We have no reason to stop helping, and we have no plans to stop helping.”
