As the 2026 Bo’s Effort event came to a close, Greg Cummings spoke with John DePaola, Bo’s father and Founding Member, during a quiet moment after the day had ended. The crowd had cleared, only a few people remained, and John had time to reflect on what made year 11 feel different from the years before. His answer showed how much the mission has grown since the first idea began with family, love, and hope.
“Jill and I, along with gentleman Todd Sodeman, founded Bo’s Effort 11 years ago, and we said, hey, if we get a couple of years out of this, that’d be great.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That hope has now become something much larger than John, Jill DePaola, and Todd Sodeman first imagined. What began as a family-led effort to honor Bo has grown into a trusted community mission supported by family members, volunteers, sponsors, and people who believe in the cause. Today, this mental health awareness nonprofit in Maryland helps keep Bo’s name alive while also helping more families understand mental illness, find resources, and feel less alone.
John shared that the event now runs better than ever because more people have stepped in to carry the work together. Jill and John still guide the mission, but the effort has become shared. Volunteers help. Sponsors support. Family members serve. Attendees return. That growth shows the power of community ownership. It also shows why this story matters to the home improvement industry and beyond. When a family business and its wider community use their voice for good, they can help more people find awareness, care, and hope.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through this conversation, the larger lesson became clear. Strong leadership is not only about what a company builds. It is also about how families, teams, and communities come together to support people who need help.
As the 2026 Bo’s Effort event came to a close, Greg Cummings spoke with John DePaola, Bo’s father and Founding Member, during a quiet moment after the day had wrapped. The golf carts were slowing down, the crowd had thinned, and the energy of the day had turned into reflection. That timing gave John space to speak openly about what has changed since the mission first began 11 years ago.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, interview with John DePaola, Bo’s father and Founding Member of Bo’s Effort
John shared that the event started with a simple hope. He, Jill DePaola, and Todd Sodeman wanted to honor Bo and bring more attention to mental illness. At the time, they did not know how long the work would last. What began as a family effort has now become a larger community mission, supported by family members, volunteers, sponsors, and people who return because they believe in the cause.
The purpose of Greg’s conversation with John was to capture that growth in a real and human way. John explained that this year felt smoother than ever because the mission is no longer carried by only a few people. It now has many hands helping bring it together. Family members serve. Volunteers step in. Sponsors continue to support. Attendees show up with care. Together, they have helped build a mental health charity in Anne Arundel County that people trust and understand.
What made John’s reflection so powerful was the way he connected the event’s growth to the deeper need in the community. He spoke about how mental illness now has more language around it. People can name it. Families can better identify it. When someone they love is struggling, they can begin to look for resources instead of feeling lost or alone.
That is the heart of the event’s impact. It is not only about one day on the course. It is about helping people understand mental illness, find support, and know that care is possible. Through 11 years of steady work, the mission has become a charity breaking the stigma of mental illness by giving families a place to talk, learn, remember, and seek help.
For the home improvement industry, John’s message also carried a larger lesson. Strong community work grows when a family, a business, and a group of supporters stay faithful to one purpose over time. What began with love for Bo has become a shared effort that now helps more people see mental health with more compassion, more clarity, and more hope.
When Greg Cummings spoke with John DePaola after the event, John looked back to the beginning with deep honesty. He shared that the mission started with a simple hope. He, Jill DePaola, and Todd Sodeman wanted to honor Bo and help bring more light to mental illness. At the start, they did not know if the event would last more than a few years.
“Jill and I, along with gentleman Todd Sodeman, founded Bo’s Effort 11 years ago, and we said, hey, if we get a couple of years out of this, that’d be great.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That small hope has now grown into 11 years of care, support, and community action. What began as a family led effort has become a trusted mission that people return to because they believe in the cause. Each year has added more support, more trust, and more people who want to help keep Bo’s story alive.
John also explained that the mission is no longer carried by only a few people. He and Jill still guide the work, but the event now has a larger group of people helping bring it to life each year.
“Jill and I still oversee everything, but we have a host of family, volunteers, our sponsors have been awesome, and they really, it all comes together.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That change shows real growth. The strongest missions become stronger when more people take part in them. Family members serve. Volunteers give their time. Sponsors give their support. Guests show up with care. Together, they help make the event feel larger than one family, while still keeping the family’s heart at the center.
For leaders in the home improvement industry, this is a strong lesson. Community impact grows when people do not only watch from the side. They step in, help, and carry the work together.
John shared that this year felt smoother than ever. He was clear that past events had gone well, but year 11 showed how much the team has learned over time. The event now has a rhythm, a system, and a group of people who know how to work together.
“This year kind of ran better than it’s ever run. Not that they’ve ever not run good, they’ve all run very smooth, but it just seems like we got it down now.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That kind of growth matters because a mission needs more than heart. It also needs people who plan, prepare, and follow through. When the event runs well, guests can enjoy the day while the cause stays clear. Sponsors feel the trust behind the work. Volunteers know where to serve. Families and supporters feel welcome.
The smoother the event becomes, the more room it creates for people to focus on why they came. They are there to honor Bo, support mental health awareness, and help more families find care and hope.
One of the clearest parts of John’s interview came when he spoke about how people now understand mental illness in a more direct way. He said the work has helped bring the topic into the open, which helps families know what they are seeing and where to turn.
“People really believe in the cause. I think now that mental illness is something we’ve brought about, people say, okay, I can identify it now, I know what it is, it has a name.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That kind of awareness can change the way families respond. When people have words for what is happening, they can begin to ask for help. They can look for resources. They can support someone they love with more care and less fear.
John made that purpose even more clear when he spoke about families who are facing mental health struggles today.
“If there’s somebody in their family that is struggling, they know now there are resources, and they try to navigate those, and we’re able to help with that.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That is the deeper value of a charity breaking the stigma of mental illness. It does more than raise funds. It gives families language, direction, and hope when they are trying to understand what is happening inside their own homes.
The most emotional part of the conversation came when John spoke about Bo’s presence. He was clear that Bo is no longer here in the way the family wishes he was, but his spirit remains alive through the work, the event, and the people who continue to say his name.
Light moments Greg Cummings with John DePaola
“Bo’s not here anymore, but he is, right? His spirit is still here.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
Those words gave the interview its heart. The event is not only about raising awareness. It is about keeping Bo’s honor alive. It is about letting his name still bring people together. It is about taking the good of who he was and using it to help others.
John said that Bo’s name was spoken many times throughout the day.
“People have mentioned the name Bo a ton of times. Today, certainly, he’s kind of the headliner here.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That is why this mission can be understood as a Bo DePaola mental health foundation in spirit, even as the work reaches far beyond one family. Bo’s life still leaves a mark through every person who gathers, gives, serves, and helps another family feel less alone.
As the conversation came to a close, John brought the focus back to the reason the work continues. He made it clear that the mission is not about the family seeking attention. It is about the community and the people who can be helped.
“It’s not about us. It’s about the community and who we can help.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
That statement gives the press release its strongest leadership lesson. A mission becomes powerful when it stays focused on service. The family’s story matters, but the goal is to help others. The event honors Bo, but it also points people toward care, resources, and hope.
John also thanked Greg Cummings for helping share the story with more people.
“Greg, thanks for the resources. It’s awesome because your work helps us spread the word.” John DePaola, Bo’s Father and Founding Member
For the home improvement industry, this is a clear reminder that strong leadership can reach far beyond business. When leaders use their platform to help people find support, they help build trust that lasts. They help spread the word. They help more families know they are not alone.
The 2026 tournament marked a major moment in the story John DePaola shared with Greg Cummings. What began 11 years ago as a small hope has now grown into a community effort strong enough to pass more than two million dollars raised for mental health awareness.
This year’s event on May 18 was made possible by the same kind of shared support John spoke about in his interview. Golfers came out. Donors gave. Sponsors stood behind the cause. Volunteers helped bring the day together. Family members and friends carried the mission with care. Each group played a part in helping the event reach a milestone that once may have felt hard to imagine.
The two million dollar mark is more than a number. It shows that people believe in the cause. It shows that Bo’s name continues to bring people together. It also shows that a mission can grow stronger when it is no longer carried by only one family, but by a wider community that understands why the work matters.
That is what the organization is doing right. It has created a trusted place where people can gather, remember, give, and talk more openly about mental health. It has helped turn a family story into local action. It has helped people see mental illness with more compassion and helped families know that resources exist when someone they love is struggling.
For the home improvement industry, this milestone is also a clear example of community leadership in action. Long Home’s family roots, sponsor network, volunteers, and loyal supporters show how a business community can help carry a cause far beyond one event. The impact is not only seen in money raised. It is seen in the people who return, the families who feel supported, and the growing awareness that mental health should be met with care instead of silence.
As the mission moves forward, the two million dollar mark stands as proof of what John described throughout the conversation. Bo’s honor is still alive. His story is still helping others. And the community that started around one family’s hope is now helping make a difference in mental health year after year.
Some missions begin in quiet places. For John DePaola and his family, this one began with love, grief, and a need to keep Bo’s honor alive. What started as a hope around a kitchen island has now grown into a place where families, friends, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters gather with one shared purpose.
2026 Bo’s Effort event
John’s interview with Greg Cummings showed that the mission has become more than a family tribute. It is now a trusted space where people can speak more openly about mental illness, remember Bo, find resources, and help others who may be facing the same kind of pain. That kind of growth does not happen by chance. It happens when people keep showing up with care.
Bo’s life was short, but his mark continues. His name is still spoken. His spirit is still felt. His story still gives people a reason to gather, give, listen, and act. Through the work done in his honor, families who may feel lost can see that help exists and that they do not have to face mental health struggles alone.
For home improvement leaders, John’s message carries a simple lesson. Real impact grows when a family, a company, and a community choose to serve something bigger than themselves. When a mission is rooted in love and carried by many hands, it can keep helping people long after the first event ends.
As the mission moves forward, Bo’s honor remains at the center. The work continues through every person who speaks his name, supports the cause, shares the message, and helps another family find hope.
Power100 looks at leadership through more than business size or sales growth. Community impact, trust, culture, and long term purpose also matter. John DePaola’s interview shows how a family connected to the home improvement industry used its voice to help others understand mental illness, find resources, and support a cause that has grown for 11 years.
Power100 helps turn real leader conversations into lessons the industry can learn from. In this story, the lesson is not only about an event. It is about how leaders can use their platform to serve people, support families, and build trust through action that reaches beyond the office.
John DePaola made it clear that the mission is still rooted in Bo’s life, but it now reaches far beyond remembrance. It has become a Maryland mental health awareness nonprofit that brings families, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters together to help people talk about mental illness and find support when someone they love is struggling.
The annual tournament is a major part of the work, but the impact reaches beyond one day. The organization supports mental health related scholarships, local hospital care, education, support groups, and community resources through partners such as Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, NAMI Anne Arundel County, and Scholarships for Scholars.
John said people can now identify mental illness better because the mission has helped bring the topic into the open. That matters because families often feel lost when they do not know what they are facing. When people can name the struggle, they can start looking for resources, support, and care.
John shared that the event now comes together through family, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. That shows the mission is no longer carried by only the founding family. People keep giving their time, money, and energy because they believe the cause matters and trust the work being done.
Keeping Bo’s honor alive means turning his story into help for others. It means speaking his name, sharing his story, supporting mental health care, funding education, and helping more families know they are not alone. In that way, the work functions like a Bo DePaola mental health foundation in spirit because Bo’s life continues to guide the mission.
Families should pay attention because this is a mental health charity in Anne Arundel County with deep local ties and a clear focus on awareness, resources, scholarships, and care. The mission helps connect the community to support through trusted local partners and keeps reminding families that mental health struggles should be met with compassion, not silence.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through national rankings, leadership interviews, event coverage, industry stories, and CEO driven conversations, Power100 helps homeowners, contractors, partners, and industry leaders better understand the people and companies shaping the future of home improvement. The platform exists to give great leaders a trusted voice, spotlight the values behind strong companies, and bring more clarity, trust, and recognition to the industry.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
